FRANCE 24 English published this video item, entitled “Race to the White House: A tense wait for results” – below is their description.
Americans are holding their breath over the results of their presidential election. Joe Biden is on track to win the 270 electoral college votes he needs to become president-elect. But narrow margins separate him from President Donald Trump in several states that have yet to be called. Trump is refusing to concede and is going on the offensive with a series of legal challenges. Meanwhile, Biden has failed to win over Latino voters, especially in the state of Florida. We take a closer look and speak to Adam Smith, a professor of US politics at the University of Oxford.
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.
