Electoral College

[ClydeR]

It's time to start thinking about the electoral college.


Under that strategy, Romney would need to win three traditionally Republican states (Indiana, North Carolina and Virgina), plus two perennial swing states (Ohio and Florida), then one more state from half a dozen tossups.

Among the tossups is a trio of Western states that Obama carried four years ago: Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. At this early stage, Nevada appears the most competitive because the state’s economy has been decimated by the housing crisis. And Romney’s team is counting on high turnout by Mormon voters there.

More... (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romney-faces-a-narrow-path-to-270-electoral-votes-but-his-team-remains-optimistic/2012/05/03/gIQAbw71zT_story.html)

Try it yourself http://www.270towin.com

[cwolff]

This brings the total to 160 electoral votes agreeing to the compact. It will take effect when they hit 270. I don't completely understand how this is going to work. It sounds like each state will instruct their electoral voters to in agreement with the compact.

Can a state bind it's electors that way and do the electors vote openly or privately?


Both houses of the New York legislature voted Tuesday night to join a multi-state compact that would ensure that the person who receives the most votes in presidential elections will actually become President of the United States. Because of America’s anachronistic Electoral College, the loser of the popular vote became president four times in American history, most recently when Texas Gov. George W. Bush took the White House from Vice President Al Gore — albeit with a big assist from the Supreme Court.

The goal of this compact is to even out some of the campaigning.


Part of the theory behind the compact is that presidential candidates have no incentive to campaign in — or to offer policy proposals targeted towards — all but a handful of “swing” states. As a solid blue state, New York is largely ignored in presidential elections because it is all but certain to favor the Democratic candidate. Similarly, states like South Carolina or Utah also go ignored because they are overwhelmingly likely to back the Republican.

I'm not convinced that will happen. It may just concentrate election spending and attention within urban areas.

[Warriorbird]

The big Democratic and Republican Super PACs will cover as many states as possible. The parties too.