Electoral College: An Analysis

The electoral college system has evolved continuously since the first presidential election. Despite a number of close contests, this arrangement has selected the candidate with the most popular votes in 48 of 52 presidential elections since the current voting system was established. Three times, however, candidates were elected who won fewer popular votes than their opponents (1876, 1888, 2000). These controversial elections occurred because the system requires a majority of electoral, not popular, votes to win the presidency. This book examines the history of the electoral college, contemporary analysis and possible reform proposals.