Loophole in the US Elections process?

Question

Although I don't know the details since I'm aweful with politics, I one heard that the way our electorial process is arranged, that the general populace actually has no direct impact on the outcome of a presidentcail vote. That is left to the House of Representatives and that they do not have to vote in accordance with the population they represents. Is this true or just some wacked out conspiracy theory?

Answer 1

Some states do mandate that the electors for the state must vote unanimously for the presidential candidate who wins the most votes in the state. It is a common misconception that all 50 states provide for a winner-take-all in allocating the electoral votes. Maine and Nebraska have a electoral college law in which those states' electoral college votes could be split. It has yet to happen, but here is how it could have potentially occurred.



Maine has four electoral votes based on the fact that it has two seats in the House and two in the Senate. The state has two congressional districts to elect the two members of the House. If, in the last election, Sen. Kerry had prevailed in Dist. 1 by 53% to 47% but Pres. Bush had prevailed in Dist. 2 by 51% to 49%, then Kerry would have won the state as a whole by 51% but would have gotten only three electoral votes with Bush getting one. Because in Maine presidential candidates get as many electoral college votes as the number of districts they win and whoever wins the state as a whole gets the other two electoral votes. In every election so far whoever has won the state has won both of the districts in the state. So therefore each prevailing candidate has won all four of Maine's votes.



The same rule is in place in Nebraska, which has five electoral college votes -- three congressional districts and two senators. If Sen. Kerry has prevailed in Districts 1 and 2 each with 51% but Bush had prevailed in District 3 with 58%, then the state as a whole would have voted for Bush by 52% and Bush would have gotten three votes and Kerry two votes. But so far Nebraska has always voted Republican for President and every Republican candidate has won all of the congressional districts in the state.

Answer 2

Our votes go to whomsoever. Whatever candidate wins the state, takes those electoral votes.



As in 2000, Gore won the popular vote, but Bust took enough states to win the electoral college.



As to the final vote, that is correct. They are not honestly compelled to vote the dictates of the population

Answer 3

This is actually true, but rarely ever practiced. This is only one reason we have such an overwhelmingly ineffectual political system.

Answer 4

The cheater wins and not the best candidate.