Does the Electoral College Still Work Today?

Imagine your class gets to vote for a team leader, and they choose you. But the principal decides to choose another person to be the leader. Something like that has happened four times in a Presidential election. Each time the candidate who won the popular vote, or the people’s vote, did not win the election.

Electoral College Confusion

Some people think that the Electoral College is no longer the best way to choose our President. They feel citizens should choose the President, not a group of electors. The Electoral College was created at a time when people did not have enough information about the candidates. Today people can find information just about anywhere—in newspapers, radio and television, Internet, billboards, and pamphlets.

Those who want to keep the Electoral College think it still works for the same reasons it was created more than 200 years ago. It gives those candidates who win in smaller states a chance to win the election.

Who do you think will win the 2008 election? Visit the link below and decide who will be our next President. Red states are Republican states. Blue states are Democratic states. Remember, it only takes 270 electoral votes to win. Then click here to complete the activity.

Seattle Times Electoral Map
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages
/nationworld/elexelectoralcollegemap.html

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