The Electoral College System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Electoral College System - Essay Example The existence of Electoral College Vote system has ensured that only candidates who win the majority Electoral College votes ascend to power. The Electoral College vote system comprises of 538 electors who determine the occupant of the white house. The presidency of the USA is won by whoever gets 270 of the electors’ votes. Electoral College votes vary in different states and the winner of a state’s majority votes wins all the college electoral votes of that particular state. In Bush vs Al Gore case, Al Gore had won in the popular votes, but there was a fierce disagreement over who won the Florida state. Florida State was to decide the winning candidate in terms of electoral votes. Bush won the majority votes in Florida by being declared popular vote winner in that state. This case was later taken to the Florida court, which ordered a recount, but there was a problem on the method to be used in recounting. However, the case was later taken to the US Supreme Court, which nullified the recount process and later made unsatisfactory decision the ultimate winner was George W. Bush. Considering that even the US Supreme Court justices were divided on this matter, it is unclear whether the decision made was political or was strictly based on judicial grounds. Thanks to Al Gore who conceded defeat having realized that based on the supreme court decision, he only managed 266 electoral votes against Bush’s 271 (Baker 1-3).The Electoral College system is believed to be catering for the minority and special group interests. A candidate must consider these groups since their votes may be a determinant in winning a particular state’s popular votes hence college electoral votes. In addition, the college electoral votes promote political stability by allowing only two major parties to exist.