How elections and campaigns work, from primaries to the Electoral College
Grade 12 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Use this
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 each State appoints electors in the Manner its Legislature may direct
- 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
- No, since a legislature controls the number of electors, not the manner of choosing them
Use this
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?
- Wyoming has about 192,000 people per elector and California about 732,000, so a Wyoming elector stands for fewer people
- 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
- The two states have about the same people per elector, since electors equal House seats plus two senators
Use this
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.”
A made-up candidate wins 269 of the 538 electoral votes. Kira reads Card C. Is that enough to become President?
- No, since the Senate would choose among the top two if no one has a majority
- No, since a majority of 538 is 270, so the House would choose
- Yes, since 269 is more than half of 538 and so a majority of the electors
- Yes, since 269 is the greatest number of votes and Card C elects the person with the greatest number
Use this
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 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.
In 1824 Henry Clay had 37 electoral votes, fourth place. Luz reads Cards C and F. Why was Clay not a choice in the House vote?
- Clay lost because he was Speaker of the House and so could not be chosen
- The Twelfth Amendment sends only the top three to the House, and Clay finished fourth
- The Senate removed Clay, since the Senate chooses among the top two
- The House may choose any candidate it likes, and it chose to leave Clay out
Use this
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 5, since the statewide winner takes the state's electors
- A gets 2 and B gets 1, since district electors are the ones that count
- 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
Use this
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 voters, a second time, since the December votes confirm the November ballot
- The House, since Congress counts the votes and so Congress decides the winner
Before 1933 a President's term began on March 4. Esme reads Card E. What did the Twentieth Amendment change?
- It lengthened the term by six weeks, since the new date is later than the old one
- It moved the election to January, so voters choose a President closer to the term
- It moved the end of terms to noon on January 20, shortening the wait after an election
- It moved the electors' meeting to January, since the date for counting is also January
Use this
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
Use this
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?
- Jackson led with 99 but had no majority of 261, so the House chose among the top three
- Jackson was robbed, since the House had no right to choose when he had the most electoral votes
- Jackson lost the House vote 13 to 7, so the House vote was a contest between two candidates
- Adams won the most electoral votes, since the House elected him after the electors had voted
Use this
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 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
- A large state's delegation gets one vote, the same as a small state's