| |
Beginning with the election of 1964, a commensurate number of people to the number of Electoral Votes have been elected in each presidential election to cast the electoral vote. Each state has as many Electors as it has Representatives and Senators. The most populous state is California (55), followed by Texas (34) and New York (31). The smallest states by population, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming, have three Electors each. Because the number of representatives for each state is determined decennially by the United States Census, the electoral votes for each state are also determined by the Census every ten years. The number of Electors is equal to the total membership of both houses of Congress, plus additional Electors allocated to the District of Columbia. There are currently 100 Senators and 435 Members of the House of Representatives, so the total membership of both houses of Congress is 535.
There are currently 3 Electors allocated to the District of Columbia (equal to the minimum number assigned to a state, derived from 2 senators and at least one representative), so the total number of Electors is 538. Therefore, in order to win the Presidency, it is necessary for the successful candidate to gain 270 electoral votes (a majority of 538). Under the 23rd Amendment, the District of Columbia is allocated as many Electors as it would have if it were a state, except that it cannot have more Electors than the least populous state. The least populous state (currently Wyoming) has 3 Electors, so the District cannot have more than 3 Electors. If the least populous state had 4 Electors, however, the District would be entitled to a maximum of 4 Electors. At its current population, however, it would remain at 3 because it is not nearly as large as any of the states that receive 4 Electors.
It has been argued by advocates for statehood for the District that Wyoming has a smaller population than Washington, D.C. and therefore deserves fewer electors. However, opponents note that Houston, New York City, and Los Angeles each have vastly greater populations than Washington, D.C. and no dedicated electoral votes at all. These cities do, of course, have their population count in the total for their state and thus give their state more electors. Legislation is currently before Congress which would add a congressional seat to Utah, give Washington DC a voting seat, and would therefore give Utah 1 additional Electoral College vote. The total number of Electoral College votes would then be 539, and a majority would still be 270. The additional congressional seat would be permanent, and reapportioned normally after the 2010 census.
|
