An Even-More-Ignorant Limey asks...

It varies by state. Some states have open voting, others are limited to party members.

 

In Tennessee, I am a registered Republican. But in the primary, I told them I was swtiching to vote as a Democrat. Which I did. I voted for Hillary because I did not want Obama to carry my state as the Democratic winner. Which he didn't. Later I heard many Republicans were doing the same thing as I did in the primaries. It was a strategy that seemed to work in some states.

When the big election comes, I will probably not vote because John McCain will carry my state and get the electoral votes anyway, whether I vote or not. And the Electoral College elects the president, not the popular vote.

 

Now here are some questions from an ignorant brownie.

What is the electoral college and what is its rationale ?
Who makes up the electoral college ?
On what basis does this college elect the president ?
If the popular vote for a particular candidate is more than that of what the same candidate gets from the electoral college but that candidate is the losing candidate in the electoral college, does this mean the electoral college's vote gets precedence over the popular vote ?
Thanks for your patience.

 

A few years ago the Alabama Democratic Party was so convinced that Republicans had influenced their primary choice for governor that they invalidated the primary and chose another candidate.

Who was soundly defeated by the Republican, BTW.

 

Each state gets the electoral votes equal to their total representation in Congress. In almost every state, who ever wins the popular vote receives all the electoral votes for the state.

For example, Alabama has 9 electoral votes. If Sen Obama wins the state by even one vote, he gets all 9 electoral votes.

The total US popular is meaningless in November.

 

The overall popular vote is "meaningless"; the "by state" (and that of the District of Columbia) popular vote determines who gets that state's electoral votes.

The two states that award a part of their electoral votes in a 'proportional' manner, by Congressional District, are Nebraska and Maine. A handful of other states are considering the "Maine Plan" for the manner of awarding the state's electoral votes, but that will not likely happen this year, even if it ever does, in those states. Neither the Federal Government, nor a state can enact any ex post facto law, hence one cannot 'change the playing field', once 'the game is afoot'. (U. S. Constitution, Article ! Scetion 9, Clause 4; Section 10, Clause 1)

FTR, KY has a "closed" primary system, where one cannot "cross-over" and vote for any candidate of another Party (or write one in), in our state's Primary.

Ed

 

When I left Alabama in 1995 is was still an open state. I did voter registration and was a poll worker, In the primary people in that states walk in, show some ID and ask for either a Democratic of a Republican ballot.

 

Isn't that what I said

 

Americans don't elect their president. We vote for the electors, even though we don't know them. The electors choose the President after the General Election. Plus there is not one nationwide election, but separate state elections for electors, all held on the same day.

The Electoral College is specified in Article II of the Constitution of the United States.
CLICK HERE

 

I cannot speak to any of the other 49 States or the District of Columbia (or any of the 'territories' of Guam, American Samoa, or the Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, for a 'primary'), as to their "election rules".

As to how one can determine who has "crossed over", the registration is "on the books" for KY, hence one gets that Party's ballot, or gets "locked in" to that Party, by the voting officials. (There are more than two Parties, in this state, as well, but most of the 'minor parties" do not usually hold a 'primary', although that does happen, occasionally.

But to my knowledge, no state requires a voter to be a member of a "Party" (I know KY does not, although an 'Independent' cannot take a part in a 'primary'.), and there are a number of registered "Independents" who are not members of any political Party, at least in the Commonwealth of KY, where that number is some 6-7% of the 'voting populace'. (Yes, KY is a State, and also a 'Commonwealth', as are VA, MA, and PA, as well.)

The percentage of 'independents' hit the neighborhood of around 50% in a couple of states, and California would lead the way in numbers, I would assume, at some 20-25% of her populace.

Ed

 

More or less. I was merely attempting to clarify, just a little bit more.

Ed

 

Correctamundo.

One may or may not know the electors, though, and in some states, they are listed, somewhere publicly. I do not know about KY, in this regard, although in every state, the electors must already be "pre-qualified", I believe.

Ed

 

In some states, such as AL, yes. In other states, such as KY, no. This varies by state, and the degree of "openness" varies by state, as well. This also applies only to 'primary' elections.

There is only one ballot, which includes all candidates for all offices, for the 'November' 'general' election, ifor all the national, state, District, county, regional, and/or city elections, for whatever office. One can vote for none, any, some and/or all, including write-in for a 'qualifed' write-in candidate.

Ed

 

I don't quite follow yet, but I guess the clincher will be your last sentence.