Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• What is the Electoral College? How does it work? (Central Ideas)
The Electoral College is a group of 538 people who officially select the U.S. president. Each state has as many electors as it has members in Congress. In all but two states, the candidate who wins a state’s popular vote receives all of that state’s electoral votes.
• Why is 270 an important number in U.S. presidential elections? (Text Evidence)
The number 270 is important in presidential elections because that is the number of electoral votes a candidate needs to win the election. There are 538 electoral votes available. The number 270 represents half those votes plus one—a majority.
• How did Framers compromise to create the Electoral College? (Key Details)
Some of the Framers at the Constitutional Convention argued that Americans should vote directly for president. Others thought that Congress should select the president because they worried citizens wouldn’t know enough about the candidates to make an informed decision. The Electoral College is a compromise because it gives citizens some input and grants states the same level of representation in picking the president as they have in Congress.