Answers to Electoral College Questions and Activities*

Question 1

1. New York has 29 electoral votes. If you subtract the two senators, it has 27 representatives. Each representative represents approximately 700,000 people. This means the approximate population of New York is 18,900,000 (27 x 700,000).

2. California has 55 electoral votes. If you subtract the two senators, it has 53 representatives. Each representative represents approximately 700,000 people. This means the approximate population of California is 37,100,000 (53 x 700,000).

3. Texas has38 electoral votes. If you subtract the two senators, it has 36 representatives. Each representative represents approximately 700,000 people. This means the approximate population of Texas is 25,200,000 (36 x 700,000).

4. Ohio has 18 electoral votes. If you subtract the two senators, it has 16 representatives. Each representative represents approximately 700,000 people. This means the approximate population of Ohio is 11,200,000 (16 x 700,000).

5. South Carolina has 9 electoral votes. If you subtract the two senators, it has 7 representatives. Each representative represents approximately 700,000 people. This means the approximate population of California is 4,900,000 (7 x 700,000).

Question 2

Obama Romney 1. New York 29 1. Idaho 4 2. California 55 2. Nevada 6 3. Illinois 20 3. Utah 6 4. New Jersey 14 4. Wyoming 3 5. Massachusetts 11 5. Arizona 11 6. Delaware 3 6. Montana 3 7. Maryland 10 7. Colorado 9 8. Rhode Island 4 8. Texas 38 9. Connecticut 7 9. Oklahoma 7 10. DC 3 10. Kansas 6 11. Washington 10 11. Nebraska 5 12. Maine 4 12. South Dakota 3 13. New Mexico 5 13. North Dakota 3 14. Minnesota 10 14. Iowa 6 15. Oregon 7 15. Missouri 10 16. Pennsylvania 20 16. Arkansas 6 17. Florida 29 17. Louisiana 8 18. Ohio 18 18. Mississippi 6 19. Wisconsin 10 19. Alabama 9 Total 269 20. Tennessee 11 21. Kentucky 8 22. West Virginia 5 23. Indiana 11 24. Michigan 16 25. Georgia 16 26. South Carolina 9 27. North Carolina 15 28. Virginia 13 29. Vermont 3 30. New Hampshire 4 31. Alaska 3 32. Hawaii 4 Total 269

Question 3: Answer 11

1. California ( 55)

2. Texas (38)

3. New York (27)

4. Florida (29)

5. Pennsylvania (20)

6. Illinois (20)

7. Ohio (18)

8. Michigan (16)

9. Georgia (16)

10. North Carolina (15)

11. New Jersey (14)

Plus the District of Columbia (3) = 271 ( Without the District you need at least 12 states to win) ( in 2008 you only needed 11)

Question 4

Closest 25 states each Most Lop-sided 25 states each Obama (269) Romney (269) Obama (415) Romney (123) 1. New York 29 1. Idaho 4 1. C 1. O 2. California 55 2. Utah 6 A R 3. Illinois 20 3. Oregon 7 2. T 2. M X 4. New Jersey 14 4. Arizona 11 T 3. F 5. Massachusetts 11 5. Montana 3 3. I L 6. Delaware 3 6. Colorado 9 D 4. N 7. Maryland 10 7. Texas 38 Y 4. N 8. Rhode Island 4 8. Oklahoma 7 5. P V 9. Connecticut 7 9. Florida 29 A 5. U 10. Alaska 3 10. Nebraska 5 6. M T 11. Washington 10 11. Missouri 10 I 6. W 12. Maine 4 12. Arkansas 6 7. G Y 13. New Mexico 5 13. Louisiana 8 A 7. N 14. Minnesota 10 14. Mississippi 6 8. N M C 15. Wyoming 3 15. Alabama 9 8. O

16. Pennsylvania 20 16. Tennessee 11 K 9. N 17. Ohio 18 17. Kentucky 8 J 9. K 18. Wisconsin 10 18. West Virginia 5 10. I S 19. Hawaii 4 19. Indiana 11 l 10. N 20. Vermont 3 20. Michigan 16 B 21. New Hampshire 4 21. Georgia 16 11. O 11. S H 22. Nevada 6 22. South Carolina 9 D 12. W 23. North Dakota 3 23. North Carolina 15 12. N A 24. South Dakota 3 24. Virginia 13 D 13. V 25. Iowa 6 25. Kansas 6 A 13. I Total 269 Plus DC(3) = A Total 269 14. M N 14. A 15. W R I 15. M 16. M S O 16. V 17. A T Z 17. R 18. T I N 18. C 19. I N T 20. M 19. D A E 21. M 20. H D I 22. C 21. A O K 23. S 22. N C H 24. A L 23. W 25. L V A 24. K DC Y 25. M E Question 5

1800- In this election Thomas Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr tied in the Electoral College (73-73) the House of Representatives than was given the task of deciding the victor. In 35 straight ballots, the 16 states deadlocked 8-8. Finally Alexander Hamilton threw his support behind Jefferson which he considered the “less dangerous” of the two choices. Jefferson became president and Burr vice-president. The way elections would be held was changed in 1804 by the Twelfth Amendment so that votes would be cast separately for president and vice president. Burr later shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

1824- In this election Andrew Jackson received 99 electoral votes and John Quincy Adams 84, but neither claimed the 131 necessary to win (there were two other candidates). The House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams at the urging of Henry Clay (who had finished fourth in the original voting). Adams then chose Clay as his Secretary of State, prompting Jackson to cry foul. Jackson accused Adams and Clay of dirty dealing and labeled the election the result of a “corrupt bargain.” In the election of 1828 Adams was soundly trounced by Jackson.