President -2

[Guest guest]

Dear JPD

 

Thanks for the explanation. Certainly complicated and "mad". Ithink I understand

most of it, but still have a couple of questions. I may as well know the worst.

and it may help other readers too, for I don´t think every American can know all

these intricacies! Or do they?

>

> In most states, whichever candidate gets MOST of the votes get ALL of that

> state's electoral votes. So if Illinois--the state I live in now--with 22

> electoral votes gives Mr A 51% of the vote and Mr. B 49%, then Mr. A gets

> ALL 22 of Illinois' electoral votes. (Not every state is like that; there

> are two exceptions.) (Note well.)

 

I noted well, but you have said nothing about the two exceptions. What happens

there?

 

> Congress then

> counts the votes in a general session called for that purpose. They first

> count the number of votes for president. Whoever gets greater than 50% of

> the electoral votes wins that office. If there are more than two candidates

> receiving electoral votes, though, it's possible that nobody gets the

> required 50% + 1.

 

How can there be more than two candidates in a two-party system? Or is a third

party theoretically possible?

 

>

> It seems bizarre to many people that we don't actually vote for our

> president, but there is a method to the madness. The United States sees

> itself as a federation of states rather than a single entity unto its own.

> As such, it is the STATES who elect the president, NOT the people directly.

 

Seems a bit far from Lincoln`s "government of the people by the people". But

this is a problem in all so-called democracies: every 4 years or so people vote

to decide who will make the mistakes!

 

regards

Mani

 

PS: Your letter is one I shall never erase!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>

> Hope this helped.

>

> jpd

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>

> gjlist-

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