Electoral College

American  

[ih-lek-ter-uhl kol-ij, ee-lek-tawr-uhl] / ɪˈlɛk tər əl ˈkɒl ɪdʒ, iˌlɛkˈtɔr əl /

Or electoral college

noun

1. none the Electoral College or the electoral college (in the United States) a group of individuals formed anew for each general election with the express function of electing the president and vice president: made up of a proportional number of members from each state, chosen by each state’s voters from the respective slates selected by that state’s political parties and usually expected to cast their vote in favor of the candidate who won the majority in their state or district.

2. a group of individuals whose function is to elect one or more leaders of government, as in Estonia, Nepal, and some other countries.

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electoral college British  

noun

1. (often capitals) a body of electors chosen by the voters who formally elect the president and vice president

2. any body of electors with similar functions

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Electoral College Cultural  

1. The presidential electors who meet after the citizens vote for president and cast ballots for the president and vice president. Each state is granted the same number of electors as it has senators (see United States Senate) and representatives combined. These electors, rather than the public, actually elect the president and the vice president. The Founding Fathers assumed that electors would exercise discretion and not necessarily be bound by the popular vote, but the rise of political parties undermined this assumption. Electors are now pledged in advance to vote for the candidate of their party, and nearly always do so. Thus, the vote of the Electoral College is largely a formality.

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Usage

What is the Electoral College? The Electoral College is an indirect voting system in the United States in which electors from each state, appointed based on the popular vote, go on to vote for the president.How is Electoral College pronounced?[ ih-lek-ter-uhl kol-ij ]

Discover More

There have been several attempts to abolish the Electoral College. In the 2000 presidential election, the candidate with the plurality of popular votes lost the electoral vote, a situation that also occurred in the 1876 and 1888 elections.

Etymology

Origin of Electoral College

An Americanism first recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Democrats also blasted Mr. Landry and Mr. Schmitt as unworthy witnesses, accusing them of fueling the Jan. 6, 2021, riot that briefly halted the counting of Electoral College votes at the Capitol.

From Washington Times

In the weeks leading up to the attack on the Capitol, Trump repeatedly pressured Pence to use his role overseeing the congressional count of Electoral College votes to block or delay certification of his loss.

From Salon

Yes, it can feel hopeless at times, especially when Republicans have far more political power than their numbers really should grant them, thanks to gerrymandering, voter suppression and the undemocratic nature of the Senate and the Electoral College.

From Salon

The call for protests echoed Mr. Trump’s call to his supporters, in the waning days of his presidency, to join him for a rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, the day President Biden’s win was to be certified by a congressional approval of the electoral college votes.

From New York Times

Though he did not physically attack any police, his attire that day and his earlier comments caused a federal judge to sentence him Friday to two years in prison for obstructing the congressional certification of the electoral college vote.

From Washington Post