The power of the electoral College
During a general election in United State of America, candidates (Governors, Reps and Senators) are elected directly by popular vote. But the president and vice president are not elected directly by citizens. Instead, they’re chosen by “electors” through a process called the ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
Each state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate). Including Washington, D.C.’s three electors, there are currently 538 electors. So, before you emerge as a winner you need at least 270 electors more than half of all electors to win the presidential election in US.
Kuma wannan abun bawai a 2016 ne kawai ya faru ba between Hillary Clinton and Trump. This happened in 2000 between George W Bush, a Republican candidate and AI Gore a Democratic candidate. Bush got (50,456,002) a popular vote, AI Gore’s popular vote is (50,999,897), Bush has 47.9% and Gore has 48.4%. The Electoral vote; Bush 271 and Gore 266. Bush announced as a winner, because he won the electoral vote. This also happened three times in the 1800s.
WHO ARE THE ELECTORS?
electors are representing the 50 states and the federal district. Each state has a number of electors equal to its Congressional representation (in both houses), with the non-state District of Columbia receiving the number it would have if it were a state, but in no case more than that of the least populous state.
So, if we borrow this system in Nigeria. Politicians will focus in some states like; Kano and Lagos, because they have more legislators. If you win these states even if you loose many less populated and by extension less legislators, you could still win the election.
Khalifa Muhammad
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