Magic Number Of Majority Votes To Be President
The United States of America is a democratic country with a presidential form of government. Every four years, the citizens elect a new president who will lead the country for the next four years. The process of electing a new president is a complex one, and it involves several steps. One of the most critical steps in electing a new president is the magic number of majority votes needed to win the presidency. In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about the magic number of majority votes needed to be a president.
What is the Magic Number?
The magic number, also known as the Electoral College majority, is the number of votes a presidential candidate needs to win the presidency. In the United States, the president is not elected by popular vote but by an indirect system known as the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a group of electors appointed by each state who are responsible for electing the president and vice president of the United States.
The magic number is calculated by dividing the total number of Electoral College votes, which is currently 538, by two and adding one. Therefore, the magic number is 270.
The Electoral College
The Electoral College is an indirect voting system used to elect the president and vice president of the United States. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, which is the sum of the number of senators and representatives in Congress. Each state is allocated a certain number of electors based on its population. The larger the population of a state, the more electors it will have.
Each state has a winner-takes-all system, which means that the candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote in a state gets all the electoral votes for that state. The candidate who wins the majority of electoral votes, which is 270 or more, becomes the next president of the United States.
How are Electoral Votes Allocated?
Electoral votes are allocated based on the population of each state. Each state has a certain number of electors based on the combined number of senators and representatives in Congress. Therefore, each state has at least three electors, which is the number of senators, plus the number of representatives based on the state's population.
The allocation of electoral votes among the states is based on the US Census, which is conducted every ten years. The number of electors for each state can change based on the population growth or decline of the state.
Why was the Electoral College System Created?
The Electoral College system was created by the founding fathers of the United States to balance the power between small and large states. The founding fathers believed that the Electoral College system would prevent large states from dominating the election process and ensure that the president would be elected by a majority of states, not just a few populous states.
The Electoral College system has been controversial throughout US history. Critics argue that it is undemocratic because it allows a candidate to win the presidency without winning the majority of popular votes. In fact, there have been five US presidential elections where the candidate who won the majority of popular votes did not win the presidency.
In Conclusion
The magic number of majority votes needed to win the presidency is 270. This number is calculated by dividing the total number of Electoral College votes by two and adding one. The Electoral College system was created to balance the power between small and large states and prevent large states from dominating the election process. While the Electoral College system has been controversial throughout US history, it remains an important part of the country's democratic process.