FRANCE 24 English published this video item, entitled “Analysis: How many more EC votes does Biden need?” – below is their description.
How close Joe Biden is to winning the 270 Electoral College votes to become president depends on who is asked.
As FRANCE 24’s international affairs editor Robert Parsons explains, the US does not have a centralised electoral system, which means media organisations make their own calls.
For FRANCE 24, which uses AP’s data, the former vice president is only 6 votes from the White House, while for other media, which have not yet included Arizona, Biden still needs 17.
FRANCE 24 English YouTube Channel
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In This Story: Electoral College
The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president. Each state appoints electors equal in number to its congressional delegation. Federal office holders cannot be electors.
Of the current 538 electors, an absolute majority of 270 or more electoral votes is required to elect the president and vice president. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority there, a contingent election is held by the United States House of Representatives to elect the president, and by the United States Senate to elect the vice president.
The appropriateness of the Electoral College system is a matter of ongoing debate. Supporters argue that it is a fundamental component of American federalism by preserving the Constitutional role of the states in presidential elections. Candidates must appeal to a broad and diverse set of states rather than focusing only on the few U.S. cities with the highest population densities.
Critics argue that the Electoral College system is less democratic than a direct popular vote and that the College violates the democratic principle of “one person, one vote.” Thus, a president may be elected who did not win the national popular vote, as occurred in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016.