How elections and campaigns work, from primaries to the Electoral College
Grade 12 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
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Card A. Constitution (1787), Article II, Section 1 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “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”. Also: “The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes”.
A made-up state legislature changes how its electors are chosen, from a statewide vote to a vote by district. Ari reads Card A. Does the Constitution allow it?
- Yes, since Congress decides how each state chooses its electors and may change it by law
- No, since the Constitution requires electors to be chosen by a statewide popular vote in each state
- Yes, since each State appoints electors in the Manner its Legislature may direct
- No, since a legislature controls the number of electors, not the manner of choosing them
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Card B. Electoral votes after the 2020 census (National Archives), with each state's resident population in the 2020 census (Census Bureau). California: 54 electors, 39,538,223 people. Wyoming: 3 electors, 576,851 people. Of California's 54, 52 are for House seats and 2 for senators; of Wyoming's 3, one is for its House seat and 2 for senators. All 50 states and the District of Columbia together have 538.
Card B: California has 39,538,223 people and 54 electors; Wyoming has 576,851 people and 3. Bo compares people per elector. What follows?
- The two states have about the same people per elector, since electors equal House seats plus two senators
- California has the most people per elector, so each of its electors matters more in the final count
- Wyoming has about 192,000 people per elector and California about 732,000, so a California elector stands for fewer people
- Wyoming has about 192,000 people per elector and California about 732,000, so a Wyoming elector stands for fewer people
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Card D (summary in our words). In 48 states and the District of Columbia, the candidate with the most votes statewide gets all of that state's electors. Maine and Nebraska differ: the statewide winner gets two electors and the winner of each congressional district gets one.
A made-up state splits its 5 electors like Maine and Nebraska: 2 statewide, 1 for each of 3 districts. A wins the state and two districts. Tala reads Card D. How do they go?
- A gets 2 and B gets 1, since district electors are the ones that count
- A gets 5, since the statewide winner takes the state's electors
- A gets 3 and B gets 2, since the two statewide electors are split between them
- A gets 4 (two districts plus two statewide) and B gets 1
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Card A. Constitution (1787), Article II, Section 1 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “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”. Also: “The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes”. Card D (summary in our words). In 48 states and the District of Columbia, the candidate with the most votes statewide gets all of that state's electors. Maine and Nebraska differ: the statewide winner gets two electors and the winner of each congressional district gets one.
Jun asks why 48 states award electors winner-take-all if the Constitution does not say so. Using Cards A and D, what is the answer?
- Each state legislature chooses the manner, and most have chosen winner-take-all
- Congress passed a law requiring it, since Congress sets the day electors vote
- The Twelfth Amendment requires it, since it says electors vote for the President by ballot
- The Constitution requires winner-take-all in a state that has more than three electors
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Card E (summary in our words). Voters cast ballots in November, and the electors meet in their states in December. Congress counts the electoral votes on January 6, and the new term begins on January 20. Constitution, Twentieth Amendment (1933), exact words (National Archives transcript): “The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January”.
On a made-up ballot in November, voters choose a candidate. Noah reads Card E. Who casts the votes that choose the President in December?
- The electors, who meet in their states, so voters in November are choosing electors
- The new President, who takes office on January 20 and so votes for the new term
- The House, since Congress counts the votes and so Congress decides the winner
- The voters, a second time, since the December votes confirm the November ballot
Before 1933 a President's term began on March 4. Esme reads Card E. What did the Twentieth Amendment change?
- It moved the electors' meeting to January, since the date for counting is also January
- It lengthened the term by six weeks, since the new date is later than the old one
- It moved the end of terms to noon on January 20, shortening the wait after an election
- It moved the election to January, so voters choose a President closer to the term
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Card B. Electoral votes after the 2020 census (National Archives), with each state's resident population in the 2020 census (Census Bureau). California: 54 electors, 39,538,223 people. Wyoming: 3 electors, 576,851 people. Of California's 54, 52 are for House seats and 2 for senators; of Wyoming's 3, one is for its House seat and 2 for senators. All 50 states and the District of Columbia together have 538.
“California has 54 electors, so it decides the election,” says Pia. What does Card B show?
- That 54 of 538 is about one tenth, and a winner needs 270, so no one state decides it alone
- That California decides it, since 54 is the largest block of electors in the country
- That California decides it for the winner of the state, since the winner gets the full 54 electors
- Nothing, since the card lists two states and a claim about the whole country needs the other forty-eight
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Card B. Electoral votes after the 2020 census (National Archives), with each state's resident population in the 2020 census (Census Bureau). California: 54 electors, 39,538,223 people. Wyoming: 3 electors, 576,851 people. Of California's 54, 52 are for House seats and 2 for senators; of Wyoming's 3, one is for its House seat and 2 for senators. All 50 states and the District of Columbia together have 538. Card A. Constitution (1787), Article II, Section 1 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “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”. Also: “The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes”.
“Electors match each state's population exactly,” says Zee. What do Cards A and B show?
- They match nothing in particular, since the Constitution does not say how many electors a state has
- Electors equal House seats plus two senators, so those two electors help small states most
- They match population exactly, since House seats are set by population and electors follow House seats
- They match the number of senators, since each state has two and electors equal its senators alone
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Card F. The 1824 election (National Archives). Electoral votes: Andrew Jackson 99, John Quincy Adams 84, William H. Crawford 41, Henry Clay 37. Total 261, majority 131. The House of Representatives chose among the top three. Voting by state, it elected Adams with 13 votes; Jackson received 7 and Crawford 4. There were 24 states.
“Jackson led in 1824, so he should have won,” says Milo. What does Card F show?
- Adams won the most electoral votes, since the House elected him after the electors had voted
- Jackson was robbed, since the House had no right to choose when he had the most electoral votes
- Jackson led with 99 but had no majority of 261, so the House chose among the top three
- Jackson lost the House vote 13 to 7, so the House vote was a contest between two candidates
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Card C. Constitution, Twelfth Amendment (1804) (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “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 A. Constitution (1787), Article II, Section 1 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “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”. Also: “The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes”.
The Twelfth Amendment says the House votes “by states, the representation from each state having one vote.” Ren reads Card C. What does that mean for a large state?
- A large state cannot vote, since its delegation is too large to agree
- A large state's delegation gets one vote, the same as a small state's
- A large state gets more votes, since it has more representatives in the House
- A large state gets one vote and a small state gets half a vote