All Posts Tagged With: "Electoral tie"

What happens if there is a 269-to-269 tie in Electoral College?

In the most dramatic and quickest shift in presidential election history McCain-Palin now leads in BOTH the popular and electoral vote totals having trailed in both just two weeks ago.

New state polling from Missouri has helped move that state from “Leans Republican” to “Likely Republican” in the Rasmussen Reports for the first time projecting McCain-Palin in states with 200 Electoral College votes while Obama-Biden is ahead in states with 193 Electoral College votes. When “leaners” are included, it’s Obama 259, McCain 247. Currently, states with 124 Electoral College votes are leaning slightly in one way or the other. Four states with a total of 32 votes — www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_elect” href=”http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/colorado/election_2008_colorado_presidential_election” target=”_self”>Colorado, www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/” href=”http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/nevada/election_2008_nevada_presidential_election” target=”_self”>Nevada, www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_e” href=”http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/new_mexico/election_2008_new_mexico_presidential_election” target=”_self”>New Mexico, and www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_elect” href=”http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/virginia/election_2008_virginia_presidential_election” target=”_self”>Virginia — are pure toss-ups.

270 Electoral votes are needed to win the White House.

There are 538 ELECTORAL VOTES theoretically it could be a tie at 269 each in which case. In that case the House of Representatives chooses the President from among the top Electoral vote-getters, with each state delegation having one vote. It takes 26 states to elect the president. If neither candidate gets 26 states, they keep balloting. If the House can’t decide, then the VP (chosen by the Democratic Senate) acts as President.

With the election of Democrat Travis Childers to the House from Mississippi, Democrats now control an even greater majority of state delegations: 27-21 with two delegations tied.

In 1824, we had the only election that ever went to the House of Representatives using the current Electoral College format. In that election, Andrew Jackson won by a substantial plurality in the Electoral College, and was the clear first choice of the American electorate. But there were three other candidates, so he did not get the required 50% of Electoral College votes. When the election went to the House of Representatives, John Quincy Adams apparently cut a deal with third-place candidate Henry Clay to appoint him Secretary of State, in exchange for Clay’s support. It is evident the first choice of the electorate was Andrew Jackson. But the Electoral College system allowed the second choice candidate to scheme his way into office. The long-term effect of this distorted result was probably negligible.

It has never been tested in the Courts. What if one candidate won more states but some of those states cast their vote for the other candidate - one vote one state.

In 1828, Andrew Jackson won the first of two terms by a wide margin over John Quincy Adams it was a vile election with Adams accusing Jackson of bigomy for marrying his wife, Racheal before her divorce was final. That so distressed her she fell ill and died igniting a lifelong hatred between Jackson and the Adams family.

Most scholars discount the often made argument that a popular vote is better than the representative Electoral College system but it periodically surfaces nonetheless.