How elections and campaigns work, from primaries to the Electoral College

Grade 12 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to E on how far a state may control its electors (the excerpts are exact; card E is made up). Card A, "Article II, Section 1". Who made it: the Constitutional Convention. When: September 17, 1787. For whom: the states and the people. Why: to say how a state appoints presidential electors. Excerpt: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress" Card B, "The Twelfth Amendment (1804)". Who made it: Congress proposed it and the states ratified it. When: ratified June 15, 1804. For whom: the electors, the House and the Senate. Why: to fix how electors vote and what happens when no one has a majority. Excerpt: "The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President" Card C, "McPherson v. Blacker (1892)". Who made it: Chief Justice Melville Fuller, for the Court. When: 1892. For whom: the parties, other courts and the public. Why: to decide whether Michigan could choose electors by districts. Excerpt: "the appointment and mode of appointment of electors belong exclusively to the states under the constitution of the United States." Card D, "Chiafalo v. Washington (2020)". Who made it: Justice Elena Kagan, for the Court. When: 2020. For whom: the parties, other courts and the public. Why: to decide whether a state may punish an elector who breaks a pledge to vote for the state's winner. Excerpt 1: "The Constitution's text and the Nation's history both support allowing a State to enforce an elector's pledge to support his party's nominee—and the state voters' choice—for President." Excerpt 2: "Nothing in the Constitution expressly prohibits States from taking away presidential electors' voting discretion" Card E, "State R". Who made it: written for this sheet. Summary in our words, not a quotation: A made-up State R passes a law saying that any elector who votes for someone other than the winner of R's statewide vote is removed on the spot, and an alternate casts the vote instead.

2. 1.

   State R's made-up law on card E replaces an elector who breaks the state's vote. Zee weighs cards B and D. Which reasoning is strongest?

   • R may: Article II lets the legislature direct appointment, and "vote by ballot" does not by itself give electors discretion
   • R may not: "vote by ballot" on card B means each elector chooses freely, so a state cannot override an elector's own judgment
   • R may regulate electors in any way it likes, because card C says the whole subject belongs exclusively to the states
   • R may not: card C gives states the power to appoint electors but leaves what the electors then do to the electors alone

3. Use this

   Cards A to C on district electors and a tie (card A is exact; card B is made up; card C is exact). Card A, "How states award their electors". Who made it: the National Archives. When: read in 2026. For whom: the public. Why: to explain how the states award electors. Excerpt: "All States, except for Maine and Nebraska, have a winner-take-all policy where the State looks only at the overall winner of the state-wide popular vote. Maine and Nebraska, however, appoint individual electors based on the winner of the popular vote within each Congressional district and then 2 'at-large' electors based on the winner of the overall state-wide popular vote." Card B, "State Q". Who made it: written for this sheet. Summary in our words, not a quotation: A made-up State Q has 2 Senators and 3 Representatives, so 5 electors. It has always been winner-take-all. Its legislature now switches to the Maine and Nebraska method for the next election. The country has 538 electors, so 270 are a majority. In the last election X won Q statewide, 52 percent to 48 percent, but Y won two of Q's three districts. Card C, "The Twelfth Amendment (1804)". Who made it: Congress proposed it and the states ratified it. When: ratified June 15, 1804. For whom: the electors, the House and the Senate. Why: to fix how electors vote and what happens when no one has a majority. Excerpt: "The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President."

4. 2.

   Outside State Q, X holds 266 electors and Y holds 267. X won Q statewide, but Y won two of Q's three districts. Esme applies card A. What does Q's switch do?

   • It turns X's 271 to 267 win into a 269 to 269 tie, so no one has a majority and only the House can decide
   • It leaves X ahead 269 to 268, because under card A Y receives only one elector for the districts it won
   • It trims X from 271 to 269 electors, but X still wins, because Y gains nothing from a state that X carried
   • It gives Y a 271 to 267 win, because Y carried two of the three districts and the at-large pair follows the districts

5. Use this

   Cards A and B on electors and people (card A is exact; card B is data). Card A, "Article II, Section 1". Who made it: the Constitutional Convention. When: September 17, 1787. For whom: the states and the people. Why: to say how a state appoints presidential electors. Excerpt: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress" Card B, "Electors and people in four states". Who made it: the US Census Bureau (people) and the National Archives (electors). When: 2020 Census; electors for the 2024 and 2028 elections. For whom: the public. Why: to compare each state's people with its electors. Data and note: The apportionment population counts residents plus some federal workers overseas. California: 39,576,757 people and 54 electors. Texas: 29,183,290 people and 40 electors. Vermont: 643,503 people and 3 electors. Wyoming: 577,719 people and 3 electors. Each state has as many electors as it has Representatives plus 2 Senators.

6. 3.

   Ren compares Wyoming and California on card B using card A. Which claim do the figures support best?

   • Per person, a Wyoming resident has about 3.8 times a Californian's electoral weight; the figures cannot show which state decides a race
   • A California resident has the greater weight per elector, since its 54 electors come from 39,576,757 people
   • Small states choose the President, since each of Wyoming's 3 electors stands for a few people compared with California's 54
   • The electors follow the House seats by the same ratio, so Wyoming has 1 seat and 3 electors while California has 52 seats and 54 electors

7. Use this

   Cards A and B on the 1824 election (card A is exact; card B has exact lines and the National Archives results). Card A, "The Twelfth Amendment (1804)". Who made it: Congress proposed it and the states ratified it. When: ratified June 15, 1804. For whom: the electors, the House and the Senate. Why: to fix how electors vote and what happens when no one has a majority. Excerpt: "if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President." Card B, "The 1824 election, National Archives". Who made it: the National Archives. When: read in 2026. For whom: the public. Why: to record the 1824 results. Electoral votes (summary in our words): Andrew Jackson 99, John Quincy Adams 84, William H. Crawford 41, Henry Clay 37, with 261 in all and 131 needed. Excerpt: "Because no candidate for President was elected by the people, the election was decided by the House of Representatives. In that vote, John Quincy Adams was elected President with 13 votes. Andrew Jackson received 7 votes and William H. Crawford received 4 votes."

8. 4.

   Clay finished fourth in 1824. Pia reads cards A and B. Which statement about the House stage is best?

   • The Amendment sends only the top three to the House, so Clay, fourth with 37 electoral votes, could not be chosen
   • Clay was excluded because only the top two finishers go to the House, so Adams and Jackson were the only choices
   • Clay could still be chosen, since the House may pick anyone who won electoral votes when no one reaches a majority of 261
   • Clay's 37 electoral votes were too few to count, because the Amendment requires every candidate to reach 131 before the House may consider that candidate

9. Use this

   Cards A to C on two elections that went to the House (the excerpts are exact). Card A, "Article II, Section 1, as written in 1787". Who made it: the Constitutional Convention. When: September 17, 1787. For whom: the states and the people. Why: to say what the House does when no one has a majority of electors. Excerpt 1: "in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote" Excerpt 2: "a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice" Card B, "The 1824 election, National Archives". Who made it: the National Archives. When: read in 2026. For whom: the public. Why: to record the 1824 results. Electoral votes (summary in our words): Andrew Jackson 99, John Quincy Adams 84, with 131 needed. Excerpt: "Because no candidate for President was elected by the people, the election was decided by the House of Representatives. In that vote, John Quincy Adams was elected President with 13 votes. Andrew Jackson received 7 votes and William H. Crawford received 4 votes." Card C, "The 1800 election, National Archives". Who made it: the National Archives. When: read in 2026. For whom: the public. Why: to record the 1800 results. Electoral votes (summary in our words): Thomas Jefferson 73, Aaron Burr 73, John Adams 65. Excerpt: "Jefferson and Burr tied with the highest number of electoral votes. The election was decided in the House of Representatives, with 10 State delegations voting for Jefferson, 4 voting for Burr and 2 making no choice."

10. 5.

    Noah compares 1800 and 1824 on cards A to C. Which statement fits both House elections?

    • Each time the House chose the candidate with the most electoral votes, since Jefferson and Jackson both led before the House voted
    • Each time the candidate who finished behind in electoral votes won, because the House must pick the runner-up
    • Each time the winner needed a majority of House members, 218 of 435, rather than a majority of the states
    • Each time the House voted by states and the winner held a majority of them: 10 of 16 in 1800, 13 of 24 in 1824

11. Use this

    Card A on the 1876 election (the note is exact; the table is the National Archives' and is summarized in our words). Card A, "The 1876 election, National Archives". Who made it: the National Archives. When: read in 2026. For whom: the public. Why: to record the 1876 results. Table (summary in our words): 369 electors in all and 185 needed. Final count: Hayes 185, Tilden 184. The four disputed states hold Florida 4, Louisiana 8, Oregon 3 and South Carolina 7 electoral votes. Excerpt: "The electoral votes of Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, and South Carolina were disputed. Congress referred the matter to the Electoral Commission, which it established for the sole purpose of determining the winner of the election. The Electoral Commission gave the decision to Rutherford B. Hayes."

12. 6.

    Hayes won in 1876 by one electoral vote. Tala reads card A. Which statement shows how little it would have taken to change the winner?

    • No change was possible, because the Commission was set up only to decide the winner and its decision could not be altered later
    • It would have taken all 22 votes of the four disputed states, since the Commission could award them only as a block
    • It would have taken a switch of two votes, because Tilden needed to pass Hayes's 185 and one vote only ties at 184 each
    • Moving only one electoral vote from Hayes to Tilden would have made Tilden the winner, 185 to 184; four states' votes were disputed

13. Use this

    Cards A and B on a House vote by states (card A is exact; card B is made up). Card A, "The Twelfth Amendment (1804)". Who made it: Congress proposed it and the states ratified it. When: ratified June 15, 1804. For whom: the electors, the House and the Senate. Why: to fix how electors vote and what happens when no one has a majority. Excerpt: "in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice." Card B, "A made-up House of 24 states". Who made it: written for this sheet. Summary in our words, not a quotation: No candidate has a majority of electors, and X and Y are two of the top three. In the House, 12 state delegations back X and 11 back Y. State Q's delegation has 9 members: 4 back X, 4 back Y and 1 has not decided.

14. 7.

    Milo applies card A to the House on card B. Which member or group holds the pivotal vote, and why?

    • No one: with 12 states each plus Q, the House must stay deadlocked until a new House takes office
    • The undecided Q member: joining X gives X 13 of 24 states and the win; joining Y gives Y only 12, which falls short
    • The 4 Q members on each side, since a tied delegation casts no vote and leaves X ahead 12 to 11, which already wins
    • The undecided Q member, either way: Q's vote makes a majority of the 24 states for whichever side the member joins

15. Use this

    Cards A and B on state votes in the House (card A is exact; card B is data). Card A, "The Twelfth Amendment (1804)". Who made it: Congress proposed it and the states ratified it. When: ratified June 15, 1804. For whom: the electors, the House and the Senate. Why: to fix how electors vote and what happens when no one has a majority. Excerpt: "in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote" Card B, "House seats in four states". Who made it: the US Census Bureau. When: 2020 Census. For whom: the public. Why: to show how many Representatives each state has. Data and note: California has 52 Representatives, Texas 38, Wyoming 1 and Vermont 1. There are 435 seats in all.

16. 8.

    Under card A each state casts one vote. Ari compares Wyoming and California on card B. Which statement is best?

    • The 26 smallest states always elect the President, since each has one vote and 26 states are a majority of 50
    • Wyoming's one Representative casts that state's vote alone; a California member shares a single vote with all 51 others
    • A Wyoming member holds 52 times less weight, since the smaller state's one vote is divided among its voters
    • California's members hold more weight, because its 52 seats show that a state's vote should follow its population

17. Use this

    Cards A and B on 1824 (card A is exact; card B has exact lines and the results in our words). Card A, "The Twelfth Amendment (1804)". Who made it: Congress proposed it and the states ratified it. When: ratified June 15, 1804. For whom: the electors, the House and the Senate. Why: to fix how electors vote and what happens when no one has a majority. Excerpt: "The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President." Card B, "The 1824 election, National Archives". Who made it: the National Archives. When: read in 2026. For whom: the public. Why: to record the 1824 results. Electoral votes (summary in our words): Andrew Jackson 99, John Quincy Adams 84, with 261 in all and 131 needed. Excerpt: "In that vote, John Quincy Adams was elected President with 13 votes. Andrew Jackson received 7 votes and William H. Crawford received 4 votes."

18. 9.

    Luz claims "Jackson led in electoral votes in 1824, so the House went against the Constitution." Using cards A and B, which verdict is best?

    • Supported: the Constitution says the person with the greatest number of votes shall be the President, and Jackson had the most
    • Refuted entirely, because a House vote by states can never conflict with the will of the people in any election
    • Supported: Adams won with only 13 state votes, and 13 of 24 is too few for a legitimate choice by the House
    • Not supported: only when no one has a majority does the House choose among the top three, and Jackson's 99 fell short of 131

19. Use this

    Card A on three elections (data and a note). Card A, "Three elections, electors and popular vote". Who made it: the National Archives (electors) and the Presidential election returns compiled in Dave Leip's Atlas, as repeated on Wikipedia (popular shares). When: results of 1876, 1888 and 1912. For whom: students of government. Why: to compare popular shares with electors. Data and note: Popular shares are rounded and differ slightly among sources. 1876 (369 electors): Hayes 185 electors, 47.9 percent; Tilden 184 electors, 50.9 percent. 1888 (401 electors): Harrison 233 electors, 47.8 percent; Cleveland 168 electors, 48.6 percent. 1912 (531 electors): Wilson 435 electors, 41.8 percent; Roosevelt 88 electors, 27.4 percent; Taft 8 electors, 23.2 percent; Debs 0 electors, 6.0 percent.

20. 10.

    Wilson won 41.8 percent of the vote in 1912 and 435 of 531 electors. Jun says this proves the system favors winners. Using card A, which reply is best?

    • It shows the opposite, since Taft's 23.2 percent earned only 8 electors, so the system punishes every third-place finisher
    • It proves that winner-take-all inflates every winner's share, since 82 percent of the electors is far above 41.8 percent
    • It shows a large gain in one four-candidate election only, not that the system favors winners in general
    • It shows Roosevelt was robbed, since 27.4 percent of the popular vote earned him only 88 of 531 electors