Presidential Elections and the Electoral College

Presidential Elections and the Electoral College
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Introduction
The results of presidential elections in the United States have significant consequences that are felt in the United States and at the international level. Despite such significance, the results of presidential elections mainly depend on how battleground states vote in the Electoral College. The Electoral College was established by the founding fathers as an alternative to the popular vote and a vote by Congress in the election of the president. Therefore, when Americans go to the polls in a Presidential election, they do not select the president but rather the electors who vote for the president. Other than Maine and Nebraska, the other states give all their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who gets more votes regardless of the winning margin. Despite the Electoral College fostering the independence of each state in selecting a president, it has been criticized as an institution that subdues the will of the general population.
The geography of voting and the role of the Electoral College
Unlike other countries, it is the Electoral College, not the popular vote, that determines who captures the presidency in the United States. This is what happened to Clinton, when she won the popular vote by over 3 million votes but lost to Trump due to less votes in the Electoral College. The provisions that guide the Electoral College are found in Article II, Section 1, Clause 2, as amended by the 12th Amendment. However, the appointment of electors who vote for the president and the vice president is determined by state legislatures. Currently, there are 538 electoral votes that are allocated to the District of Columbia and the states. California has the highest number of electoral votes (55) while North Dakota, Alaska, Delaware, South Dakota, District of Columbia, and Wyoming have the least electoral votes (3).
However, after each decennial census, the number of electoral votes allocated to each state and the District of Columbia may change to reflect population increase or loss. This change is also reflected in the loss or gain of House Representatives that each state sends to Congress. With the increased efficiency and reliability of digital technology as well as the reliability of electronic data, mapping out the electoral regions and projecting them has become quite easy. It is now easier to even create such mapping in real time. Understanding it entails looking at the bigger picture which entails aspects such as political parties, the mode of operation of the electoral systems as well as the campaigns. Understanding how the political and racial minorities within the country operate, can help to also understand how much they can influence the whole process of elections. They are often the determining factors, and the two major parties; Republicans and Democrats, understand it quite clearly.
Generally, Republican presidential nominees tend to dominate the Mountains/Plains and South regions while Democratic nominees perform well in the North East and Pacific regions. As a result, the dynamics of the Electoral College are mostly witnessed in the Mid-West region. For instance, despite failing to win the popular vote in 2016, Trump captured the presidency after winning the electoral votes of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin (Michigan and Wisconsin are Midwest states). Similarly, in the 2020 elections, Joe Biden won the presidency after he won the electoral votes of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Due to these dynamics, reform proponents criticize the Electoral College because it facilitates the election of a minority president (Rosenfeld, 2018). Indeed, a minority president was elected in 2016 (Trump), in 2000 (Bush), in 1824 (John Quincy Adams), in 1876 (Rutherford B. Hayes), and in 1888 (Harrison).
Despite such criticism, Rose (2016) indicates that the Electoral College reinforces the federal principle by requiring the states to cast electoral votes. In most states, it is usually expected that the candidate that gets the most votes in plurality is the one that secures the electoral votes as well. Based on popular votes, the electors now sit and vote for the president and vice president in that manner.
Evaluation of presidential campaigns, candidates’ campaigns, and performance in the debates
As initially noted, the whole process of determining a president usually depends on a number of factors, ranging from the campaigns to the sway over minority and ethnic groups. Also to a great extent, the performance of the presidential candidates in the presidential debate is also crucial. The debate usually wins or loses the sway votes or the undecided ones depending on how the candidates perform. The most sensitive issues ranging from taxation, healthcare and international relations, especially with the East are usually very important. When it comes to campaigning, each presidential candidate is expected to have enough financial firepower to go through all the areas needed for the same. In this manner, there is the realization that each candidate needs not only efficiency but also effectiveness since the whole thing is time bound.
The structure of the Electoral College recognizes states as the most important jurisdictional units in presidential voting. As a result, presidential elections are won in swing states; states that do not consistently vote along party lines. Therefore, presidential candidates usually visit swing states frequently during their campa...