#538 Know Your Elector

Cary Grant and Sophia Loren are the citizens of United States discussing about the presidential election.

Sophie, look at this picture. They were the Electors from Virginia. In this picture, the Electors were with Governor Tim Kaine. On 15 December 2008, these Electors elected Barack Obama as the President of United States.

What! Cary, No Way!
Electors? Who are they?
How could they elect the President?

Yes Sophie. People do think that they elect the President. But the truth is, these Electors do elect the President.

Cary, I thought that We, the People of United States elect the President. Is it not true?

We, the People is still true. Let me quote from Alexander Hamilton:

"A small number of persons, selected by their fellow citizens from the general mass, elect the President."

Those small number of persons are Electors.

But, even in this quote, it is said that, "selected by their fellow citizens..."

Do citizens select or elect these Electors?

No. Right now, these Electors are appointed by the Presidential Candidate.

That doesn't sound right. As per the Constitution, citizens elect the Electors and those Electors elect the President. It is a two step process.

Do we completely skip the first step? That doesn't sound right.

Yes. Nobody pays any attention on the first step.

List of 538 Electors

Citizens do elect Senators and House of Representatives. Likewise, citizens have the right to elect these Electors.

Right now, by practice, we make these Electors are unknown and powerless.

But, by Constitution, these Electors as important as Senators and House of Representatives. We cannot make the Electors as dummies.

People delegate their power and authority to these Electors. Those 538 Electors has the responsibility to elect the President.

I salute those Founding Fathers. They spent so much of their life for the future generation. We need to respect them and honor their vision and values.

Let us just follow the Constitution word by word. Let us stop inventing new methods and new interpretations.

If we go word by word of the Constitution, how does the Election 2016 is going to be?

California Secretary of State

Let the Citizens of California ask the Secretary of State, Alex Padilla.

Could we take a fresh look at the Constitution and follow it in its words and spirit.

A congressional district is an electoral constituency that elects a single member of a congress. A congressional district is based on population, which, in the United States, is taken using a census every ten years.

California has 53 congressional district. I live in CA 18 and you live in CA 19

From CA 18, you elect an Elector. From CA 19, I elect an Elector.

Once the election is over, then all these 53 Electors assemble and then elect the President.

California has two more votes. 55 Electors are needed.

Let us give one vote to the Governor. Governor represents the whole state and the Governor deserves one Electoral vote to elect the President.

Okay. What about the last one?

May be, California Secretary of State or one Electoral vote to the State Judicial Branch.

That sounds nice. What is the process?

The Secretary of State may announce the date for filing nominations for the post of Elector.

Citizens apply for the nomination. Qualified candidates would be in the ballot.

Each congressional district elects one Elector. Then they elect the President of United States.

There is no need to abolish the Electoral College. Let us stop all our interpretation on the Constitution. Let us try to understand the Constitution and let us respect it and honor it.

Then, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and other would have a place in the history.

As they were the last Presidential Candidates had their names in the ballot.

Let us stop making the Electors as dummies. Let us empower the Electors.

Let the Electors with their Constitutional Authority and Responsibility would elect the next President of United States.