Channel 4 News published this video item, entitled “US election: Electoral College to confirm Joe Biden win” – below is their description.
America’s electoral college – the body that actually appoints a president, based on the votes cast in each state – was once likened to the appendix: “It doesn’t do much good, but when it gets inflamed there’s big trouble!”
This is what almost happened this year, when Donald Trump tried to overturn his defeat in the courts. But today the Electoral College convenes to ratify the result – and presumably deal the final blow to President’s Trump’s hopes.
Channel 4 News YouTube Channel
Got a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.
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.
