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Why do ALL of the electral college votes for a state go to the same candidate?

It would seem to be a better representation of the will of the people of the state if the electoral college votes for President were cast according to the popular vote in each Assembly District, with the two votes alloted for Senate representation going to the winner of the popular vote in the State.

According to my understanding, the number of Electoral College votes a State gets is determined by adding the number of Senators from the State (always 2) to the number of members of the House of Representatives from the State (depends on population).

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    They don't. That's one of the biggest problems with the electoral college. Over 150 times have they not voted the way the state told them to. It's not that rare. It was up to the states to decide. Some states have all of the votes go. Some split it between the votes. Technically, there is no law that mandates how they vote. It is made up of real people and they could vote anyway they wanted. All the votes to could go to a candidate that was not what the majority voted for. Now thats never happened that all the votes did but many times states have split the votes based on a close to 50-50 popular vote.

    It would be better if the votes were split according to population. Then peoples votes would not be completely overlooked just b/c they live in a primarily one-party state. It will have to be changed in the next few years. Soon it will make it so that winning a state like California means you don't have to represent any of the rest of the country.

    I really do see something happening in the next 10-20 years where a candidate loses 47 states yet wins the presidency.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Forty-eight states do award all of the electoral votes to the candidate who gets the most votes in the state.

    Two state do allocate the votes according to what you describe: Maine and Nebraska. But there has never been a candidate who won Maine as a whole but lost one of the districts in the state so all of the state's votes have gone the same way. Same thing with Nebraska.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I believe that Nebraska is the only state that allows electoral votes to be split among candidates.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    it is unconstitutional and yet another mindless liberal concept. The electoral college isn't out of date. and is between the everyday components that makes us a republic somewhat than a democracy. some people think of we are residing in a democracy right here yet for me as quickly as I say the pledge of allegiance, I pledge allegiance to flag of the u . s . a . and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands. the certainty that we are a republic is suggested interior the form. the U. S. shape would not prescribe a regular vote for president. It demands that each and each state deliver the suitable type of electors to the electoral college to pick a president for the union. it is as much as each and each state to return to a determination how those electors are chosen. the tactic is interior the state shape. the ordinary vote on your state (which consists of your vote) determines the electors that are despatched to the electoral college. the explanation for it is that the president represents the states and the union, no longer the persons. people are represented interior the residing house of Representatives and the Senate. The President serves as chief government officer of the union and commander in chief of the defense force in offering for the uncomplicated protection of the union. What never counts interior the presidential election is the nationwide ordinary vote. That way the president is elected by skill of the states no longer the persons. The nationwide ordinary vote lumps all voters mutually. Electing a president that way could continuously have some heavily populated cities determining on the president, no longer the states. some people argue that the electoral college is in place because of the fact we did no longer have the verbal replace then that we've right this moment. it is preposterous. the suggestions could nonetheless could be carried on horseback and could get there no faster and it could have been carried on one horse for each state. it is in simple terms yet another unpatriotic loony concept.

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