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Electoral College
What is the
Electoral College?
The Electoral College, administered by the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA), is not a place, it is a process that began as part of the
original design of the U.S. Constitution. The Electoral College was established
by the founding fathers as a compromise between election of the president by
Congress and election by popular vote. The people of the United States vote for
the electors who then vote for the President. Read more about how the terms
"Elector" and "Electoral College" came into usage.
How did the terms
"Elector" and "Electoral College" come into usage?
The term "electoral
college" does not appear in the Constitution. Article II of the
Constitution and the 12th Amendment refer to "electors," but not to
the "electoral college." In the Federalist Papers (No. 68), Alexander
Hamilton refers to the process of selecting the Executive, and refers to
"the people of each State (who) shall choose a number of persons as
electors," but he does not use the term "electoral college."
The founders appropriated the
concept of electors from the Holy Roman Empire (962 - 1806). An elector was one
of a number of princes of the various German states within the Holy Roman Empire
who had a right to participate in the election of the German king (who generally
was crowned as emperor). The term "college" (from the Latin collegium),
refers to a body of persons that act as a unit, as in the college of cardinals
who advise the Pope and vote in papal elections. In the early 1800's, the term
"electoral college" came into general usage as the unofficial
designation for the group of citizens selected to cast votes for President and
Vice President. It was first written into Federal law in 1845, and today the
term appears in 3 U.S.C. section 4, in the section heading and in the text as
"college of electors."
Who selects the Electors?
The process for selecting
electors varies throughout the United States. Generally, the political parties
nominate electors at their State party conventions or by a vote of the party's
central committee in each State. Electors are often selected to recognize their
service and dedication to their political party. They may be State elected
officials, party leaders, or persons who have a personal or political
affiliation with the Presidential candidate. Then the voters in each State
choose the electors on the day of the general election. The electors' names may
or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for
President, depending on the procedure in each State.
What are the qualifications to
be an elector?
The U.S. Constitution contains
very few provisions relating to the qualifications of electors. Article II,
section 1, clause 2 provides that no Senator or Representative, or Person
holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed
an Elector. As a historical matter, the 14th Amendment provides that State
officials who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United
States or given aid and comfort to its enemies are disqualified from serving as
electors. This prohibition relates to the post-Civil War era.
A State's certification of
electors on its Certificates of Ascertainment is generally sufficient to
establish the qualifications of electors.
Credit: U.S. Archives
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