Lesson 18 of 84 · Government
⭐ 30 XP🏛️ Civic SquareThe Electoral College
The Electoral College is a unique mechanism established by the United States Constitution for electing the President and Vice President.
🎯 Your mission
Spot the fair part. Spot the unfair part.
⚡ The twist
Laws change. Power changes who gets to change them.
Mind = Blown
🤯 In ancient Athens, 'democracy' only included about 10% of the people.
Then & Now
🏛️ Knowing this makes you a better voter when you grow up.
The Electoral College is a unique mechanism established by the United States Constitution for electing the President and Vice President. Instead of a direct popular vote, citizens cast their ballots for a slate of electors pledged to vote for their chosen candidate. Each state has a number of electors equal to its total number of senators and representatives in Congress, leading to a total of 538 electors. A candidate must secure a majority of these electoral votes, specifically 270, to win the presidency.
Key Facts
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors.
A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
Electors are chosen by popular vote in each state.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2What is the total number of electors in the Electoral College?
Why this still matters
Your school has rules. Where do they come from? Who decides them?
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Watch a town meeting or council clip on YouTube for 5 minutes.
For the dinner table
“What's one rule at our house you'd change if you could vote on it?”
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Send it to a parent looking for a 5-minute “why does that matter?” conversation starter.