On Apr 3, 2011, at 10:10 PM, Dave Ketchum wrote:
US Electoral College - done with each state done separately, unlike most any other election - meaning that various parts are done in different ways.
but not to a significant degree. *every* state, except Maine and Nebraska, simply award their entire allocation of electoral votes to the plurality winner in that state. Maine is 4 electoral votes, Nebraska is currently 5 electoral votes, out of 538.
the interesting thing is, that for the first time i know of, a state (Nebraska) has actually split their slate of electors in 2008. Nebraska was, essentially, a Red state (GOP, McCain), but the congressional district around Omaha went to Obama. so it was five electoral votes split 4 and 1.
is there any historical case in modern American electoral history where a state (having similar law as Nebraska or Maine) has, because of the outcome, split their electoral vote? i know of no other case.
for the most part, it's winner take all, which gives big states a big swing vote (Ohio is the most reputed to having this quality making it the quintessential "battleground state") and the small states (like the one i grew up in and the one where i live now) get "compensated" for their having less of a swing effect by having more electoral votes per capita than the big states. even so, prez candidates do not spend any time during the General Election season in hardly any of the small states like North Dakota or Vermont.
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