According to the Constitution, who elects the president and vice president?

According to the Constitution, who elects the president and vice president?

• A. Senate
• B. Electoral College
• C. Congress
• D. People

Answer: (B)

The Constitution sets up the Electoral College as the mechanism for choosing the president and vice president. In each state, voters pick a slate of electors pledged to a candidate. The number of electors a state has equals its total number of Senators and Representatives, and most states award all their electors to the winner of the state’s popular vote. The electors then meet in December and cast separate votes for president and vice president. A majority of electoral votes (currently 270) is required to win. If no one reaches a majority, the House chooses the president from the top three finishers, with each state delegation having one vote, while the Senate selects the vice president from the top two finishers. This setup explains why the presidential outcome is determined by the Electoral College rather than by a direct nationwide vote, the Senate, or Congress.

The Constitution sets up the Electoral College as the mechanism for choosing the president and vice president. In each state, voters pick a slate of electors pledged to a candidate. The number of electors a state has equals its total number of Senators and Representatives, and most states award all their electors to the winner of the state’s popular vote. The electors then meet in December and cast separate votes for president and vice president. A majority of electoral votes (currently 270) is required to win. If no one reaches a majority, the House chooses the president from the top three finishers, with each state delegation having one vote, while the Senate selects the vice president from the top two finishers. This setup explains why the presidential outcome is determined by the Electoral College rather than by a direct nationwide vote, the Senate, or Congress.