The Electoral College system was established in Article II, section I, of the U. S. Constitution and has been modified by the 12th Amendment. The framers of the constitution created it because they felt that the common people were generally misinformed and easily misled. By creating the Electoral College the people had a choice but the government still had control.
             Before the adoption of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the electors voted for two persons without distinguishing between a vote for president and vice president. The candidate with the highest number of votes was elected a president and the candidate with the second highest number of votes became vice president.
             Many people feel that the Electoral College is a good way of electing the president. One of the arguments for the Electoral College is that without the electoral college the president would be selected by the opinion of large metropolitan and populated regions. Another argument for the Electoral College is that it contributes to the two party system. This is true because it is almost impossible for a third party candidate to win enough if any electoral votes to be elected president.
             Electors are selected according to the state's congressional delegation. The electors normally pledge to vote for the nominees of their party, but they are not constitutionally required to do so. When the American people vote for president and vice president, they are actually voting for slates of electors pledged to their candidates. The electoral vote of each state is cast as a unit and the victorious presidential and vice presidential nominees in each state win the state's entire electoral vote. The candidates receiving a majority of the total electoral vote in the United States wins.
             The Electoral College gives all of a state's electoral votes to the winner in that state, no matter how small the margin. There have been cases in the past when candidates have been elected even thou...