What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?
The Constitution outlines the steps for choosing the next president in the event of an electoral tie.
If you’ve ever seen Saturday morning cartoons and “Schoolhouse Rock,” you may be familiar with college voting – the Electoral College.
As the 2024 presidential election comes to a close, here’s what you need to know about the Electoral College and how a president is selected.
When is Election Day 2024?
Election day is Tuesday, November 5.
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is not a place; it is the process by which the President of the United States is elected, according to the Constitution.
According to the National Archives, the Electoral College was a compromise between Congress electing a president and electing a president by popular vote.
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How does the Electoral College work?
The Electoral College has 538 voters – a majority of 270 electoral votes is needed to become president. Each state has a number of electors. The number is determined by taking the number of senators a state has (2) and adding one for each member in the House of Representatives.
For example, Delaware has three votes: two senators and one member of the House of Representatives. Delaware is one of seven states with three votes, or the fewest a state can have. California has the largest total with 54.
Simply put, the candidate who wins the state, except Nebraska and Maine, wins all the electoral votes for the state. In Maine and Nebraska, they allocate two electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote, and then one electoral vote to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district.
After the states certify the results, each state’s electoral votes are counted during a joint session of Congress on January 6 the year after the election. A joint session of Congress is held in the House Chamber to count the votes. The Vice President of the United States, as president of the Senate, presides over the count in a strictly ministerial manner and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then announces the persons, if any, who have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.
What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?
If neither candidate receives 270 electoral votes, the election goes to the House of Representatives, with each state delegation having one vote. A majority of 26 votes is required to win. The Senate chooses the vice president – 51 votes are needed to win the vice presidency. In theory, this means that the president and vice president could come from different parties, which hasn’t happened since 1864.
Has a candidate ever won the popular vote and lost the election?
Yes, it happened a total of five times.
- 1824: Andrew Jackson won the popular vote. John Quincy Adams became president after winning a vote in the House of Representatives. There were four candidates in the race and all belonged to the Democratic-Republican party.
- 1876: Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden won the popular vote, but Republican Rutherford B. Hayes won the Electoral College vote 185-184.
- 1888: Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland won the popular vote by more than 90,000 votes, but he lost the Electoral College to Republican Benjamin Harrison 233-168. Cleveland came back to win the next presidential election, becoming the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
- 2000: Democratic candidate Al Gore won the popular vote by 500,000 votes, but Republican George W. Bush won the Electoral College 271-266.
- 2016: Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote with 2.8 million votes. Donald Trump won the Electoral College 304-227.
How to Vote in Delaware
Once you’ve made your decision and it’s time to vote, here’s what you need to know about voting in the First State:
When are the polls open in Delaware?
Polls in Delaware open at 7 a.m. on Election Day and close at 8 p.m.
How do you find your polling place in Delaware?
You can check the Delaware Department of Elections website and enter your address. Your voting location will then be found.
What do I need to vote in Delaware?
At the polling station, an employee will ask you for proof of identity. Allowed forms of identification include:
- Valid photo ID
- Copy of the energy bill
- Bank statement
- Government check, paycheck or other government document showing your address
Is there early voting in Delaware?
Yes, early voting for the general election began on October 25th and runs through November 3rd. Early voting locations will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the first five days of early voting and from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. for the last five days of early voting. pm All registered voters can vote early.
Early voting locations in Delaware
Province of New Castle
- Appoquinimink State Service Center, 122 Silver Lake Road, Middletown
- Christina Crossing, 501 S. Walnut St., Suite 13, Wilmington (tentative)
- Claymont Community Center, 3301 Green St., Claymont
- Department of Elections Warehouse, 220 Lisa Drive, New Castle
- Hudson State Service Center, 501 Ogletown Road, Newark
- Police Athletic League, 3707 N. Market St., Wilmington
Kent County
- BPOE #1903 Elks Lodge, 200 S. Saulsbury Road, Dover
- Crossroad Christian Church, 4867 N. Dupont Highway, Dover
- Frederica Senior Center, 216 Market St., Frederica
- Harrington Parks and Recreation, 114 E. Liberty St., Harrington
Sussex County
- American Legion Post 28 Millsboro, 31768 Legion Road, Millsboro
- Department of Elections Warehouse, Georgetown, 542 S. Bedford St., Georgetown
- Department of Elections Warehouse, Seaford, 200 Allen St., Seaford
- Ellendale Fire Hall, 302 Main St., Ellendale
- Laurel Fire Hall, 205 W. 10th St., Laurel
- Margaret H. Rollins Community Center, 101 Adams Ave., Lewes
- Millville Community Center, 32517 Dukes Drive, Millville
- Roxana Fire Hall, 35943 Zion Church Road, Frankford
