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So, I've been somewhat half-heartedly following the US Presidential Elections. I can't quite get my head round the idea that anyone thought it was sensible to spread the whole, agonising process out over a year. But I'm even more bemused by the sheer complexity of the system.
As I understand it:
(i) People are voting in primaries at the moment. Different states at different times and with different systems. These are to choose who will be the candidates for each party, right? (Sidenote - if you're standing as an independent, do you have to bother with primaries?)
(ii) Later in the year, there will be an election day. US citizens (of suitable age, etc.) will all be entitled to vote, not for their President, but for an Elector. But I'm a little confused here - do you vote for an individual person or a party who will choose the elector? Because Wikipedia seems to suggest that states generally end up with blocks of electors, rather than a mix of some Republicans and some Democrats. Is that right? And if so, how does it work with independent candidates?
(iii) Some time after this, the electors actually vote. In general they do what they said they would, though occasionally some mess up or change their minds.
Here are my questions:
1. What stage in the process did the hanging chads occur? I'm guessing it was (ii) since that seems the most significant point in the process.
2. If you're not affiliated to a party, do you get to vote in a primary? I've seen some evidence that suggests yes, but I can't work out how that would be fair. Couldn't you be a Democrat but decide to go and vote Republican so that you could pick their worst candidate?
3. What is the purpose of the electoral college? Do the electors do anything other than elect the President? And couldn't they just be eliminated as the middle men?
4. What is the reason for separating the presidential election from the rest of the electoral system? Why not have the House of Representatives or the Senate or both elect the president? Then they could work together a bit better, perhaps? Where does the balance of power really lie?
5. How does anyone, ever, understand this aged 18? Do they spend years teaching it in school?
As I understand it:
(i) People are voting in primaries at the moment. Different states at different times and with different systems. These are to choose who will be the candidates for each party, right? (Sidenote - if you're standing as an independent, do you have to bother with primaries?)
(ii) Later in the year, there will be an election day. US citizens (of suitable age, etc.) will all be entitled to vote, not for their President, but for an Elector. But I'm a little confused here - do you vote for an individual person or a party who will choose the elector? Because Wikipedia seems to suggest that states generally end up with blocks of electors, rather than a mix of some Republicans and some Democrats. Is that right? And if so, how does it work with independent candidates?
(iii) Some time after this, the electors actually vote. In general they do what they said they would, though occasionally some mess up or change their minds.
Here are my questions:
1. What stage in the process did the hanging chads occur? I'm guessing it was (ii) since that seems the most significant point in the process.
2. If you're not affiliated to a party, do you get to vote in a primary? I've seen some evidence that suggests yes, but I can't work out how that would be fair. Couldn't you be a Democrat but decide to go and vote Republican so that you could pick their worst candidate?
3. What is the purpose of the electoral college? Do the electors do anything other than elect the President? And couldn't they just be eliminated as the middle men?
4. What is the reason for separating the presidential election from the rest of the electoral system? Why not have the House of Representatives or the Senate or both elect the president? Then they could work together a bit better, perhaps? Where does the balance of power really lie?
5. How does anyone, ever, understand this aged 18? Do they spend years teaching it in school?