The Pour Over Today - Bonus Episode: 2024 Election Topics - The Electoral College

Episode Date: October 31, 2024

In a special episode of The Pour Over Today, we’re explaining the Electoral College. This is the fifteenth episode of our Election Collection, designed to help us grow in understanding and compassion on key 2024 election topics. Please support our TPO sponsors! Cru: give.cru.org/tpo Upside: https://links.thepourover.org/Upside The Bible Study: https://links.thepourover.org/TheBibleStudy Politics for People Who Hate Politics: https://links.thepourover.org/PoliticsForPeopleWhoHatePolitics Keola Fit: https://links.thepourover.org/KeolaFit_Pod Compelled Podcast: https://links.thepourover.org/Compelled_TomTarrants Nothing Left Unsaid Podcast: https://linktr.ee/tgnlu CCCU: https://www.mycccu.com/tpobonus

Today's episode is brought to you by our lead sponsor, CREW. In a special episode of The Poor Over Today, we're explaining the Electoral College. This is the 15th episode of our election collection, designed to help us grow in understanding and compassion on key 2024 election topics. What is the Electoral College? Instead of voting directly for a presidential candidate, U.S. citizens vote for electors, who then vote for a president. Kind of like picking a team captain who makes the final call.

The system is called the Electoral College. Who is in the Electoral College? The Electoral College comprises 538 electors divided between the states and DC. Each state receives the same number of electors as its congressional delegation, representatives in the House plus senators. Most states follow a winner-takes-all system

where the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state bags all the state's electors. However, Maine and Nebraska use a proportional system. They award two elector votes to the statewide winner and cast the remaining votes based on the winner within each congressional district. Political parties usually choose electors in each state before the election. Think of them as each party's loyalists ready to cast votes on their behalf. They are often state party leaders or people with a personal connection to the candidate. The presidential election winner is whichever candidate receives 270 or more Electoral College

votes. Now, the Electoral College's purpose, why was it created? The Electoral College was a compromise between founding fathers who disagreed on whether the president should be elected by Congress or a popular vote. Some feared that a popular vote would result in large states always electing one of their own, while others feared allowing Congress to choose the president was an invitation for corruption between the executive and legislative branches. And so, the Electoral College was born. We'll be back with American views on the Electoral College after a quick break.

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Not all Americans are fans of the Electoral College. A main criticism is that the Electoral College undermines Democratic principles by making some people's votes more impactful than others. A Democrat in Wyoming can feel like her vote doesn't count since Wyoming has supported the Republican candidate in every election for over 50 years. Meanwhile, a few thousand votes may decide who wins all of Pennsylvania's electoral votes and determine the election outcome. Roughly two-thirds of Americans, 63%, support moving away from the electoral college

in favor of a popular vote, where each citizen's vote is weighed equally. On the other hand, supporters argue the electoral college protects minority interests by requiring candidates to gain the support of a more diverse group of voters. They reason that without the Electoral College, presidents could be elected by dominating

one populous region and feel no political pressure to represent the needs of other regions like rural areas. Additionally, they argue the Electoral College preserves federalism, the division of power between a central authority and individual states, by giving states an important role in the selection of the president. We'll close with some frequently asked questions about the Electoral College. Can electors vote for whoever they want? Can electors vote for whoever they want?

Electors from 29 states are bound by law to vote according to their state's popular vote. There have been 167 electors throughout history who have not cast their votes for the candidates they were designated to represent. But these so-called rogue electors have never changed the outcome of an election. Can the Electoral College be changed? The Electoral College system is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and would require an amendment to change. A proposed alternative to a constitutional amendment is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement among states to award electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote.

When do the electors vote? U.S. citizens vote for their preferred candidate by election day, November 5, 2024. That vote determines electors, who cast their votes mid-December. On January 6, the Vice President presides over a joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes. Each state's results are certified, and any objections are addressed. Media outlets will typically announce who is projected to win on election night or shortly after. Does the Electoral College vote ever differ from the popular vote?

Yes, this has occurred five times throughout history and twice since 2000. George W. Bush defeated Al Gore despite losing the popular vote in 2000. And Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote in 2016. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening in the Apple Podcast app, give us a five star rating and drop a review. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. We appreciate your support and hope you have a great day.

We'll be back tomorrow with the regular news. Real Christians with incredible stories. Compelled Podcast uses gripping, immersive storytelling to bring Christian testimonies to life. Take Tom Terrence, a man who once harbored intense hatred for communists and Jews and took a homemade bomb to the home of a Jewish businessman ready to unleash terror. But Jesus was there, ready to redeem. Listen to Tom tell his entire story on The Compelled Podcast in episode number 87, titled KKK Terrorist Finds Christ. Catch it on your favorite podcast app or visit CompelledPodcast.com.