by Stefany Smith

Created on: November 11, 2008

There are far too few American citizens today who understand their government and how it works. Every four years, when a new president is elected, there appears a flood of questions. The top questions usually revolve around the mystery of the Electoral Votes. People feel their votes aren't counted, and the elections are in the hands of a few elected officials. Let me ease all of your minds, this simply is not true.

The founders of this nation were fed up with their governing body. They felt their voices were not heard, and demanded that their new government would be representative of them. So, they formed a representative government. One that would be selected by the people, reflective of the people's needs and desires, and be their voice within the governing bodies. The Electoral College was one of the first designs of this representative government and the first form to be used in selecting the president.

The Electoral College was the primary tool in selecting the president for the first 10 elections. It wasn't until the election of 1824 when the popular vote was even recorded. However, these people voting were not the final word. The person they selected was the person they requested their representatives to vote for. And this is how the system remains today.

For every 30,000 people in a state, there is one Representative. Each state has two Senators. When it comes time for an election, there is one vote per Senator and one vote per Representative; with a total of 538 votes available, and the winner needing 270 of them. Each state holds their own elections, thus telling their representatives who they wish them to vote for. Each voice is heard and recorded. Yes, each representative has the right to choose who they wish, but they are ethically bound to represent their people. There have only been a few times where a Representative chose to vote against their people's wish. However, these votes did not sway the elections. They were merely used to make a point.

Many people feel this system is out dated and unreflective of the people. However, the reliability of this system is one of the few reliabilities left of our government. It has only failed the people 3 times in the last 184 years; that is a track record with 93% accuracy. If something works 9 out of 10 times it is seen as accurate and sustainable. This is why this system still rules the choosing of a new president every four years.

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