The topic I am currently researching the degree of importance small states play in the Electoral College. By using past electoral college returns, I hope to find patterns on how vital (or non-vital) the role of small states are in electing our President. I will examine to what extent small states band together and vote for the same candidate. If they do band together, is it intentionally done in order to pull more political weight in the Electoral College. I will also examine the role of small states when the more largely populated states split their votes in the Electoral College. This is where the role of small states can be crucial in deciding an election. How many times it has happened in the past will help me determine the average role of a smaller state in an election. In order to do this I will focus my attention to past Electoral College returns and look at the number of votes each state cast and for whom they were cast.
             This, of course, must also include any patterns I find in larger states. I will research how many times states with a large number of electoral votes have voted for the same candidate. Because a small number states have a majority of the electoral votes, if they commonly band together this makes the small states irrelevant. For example, in the research that I've done so far, I cannot find an instance where more than one of the three states with the most electoral votes, cast those votes for the candidate who ended up losing the election. Another point I will examine on this issue is the number of times vastly populated states have elected the President without needing much (if any) help from smaller states. If this happens often, it truly does make the smaller states irrelevant. I have a vested interest in this topic because I am from, and still vote in, a smaller state. This being the case, I am researching this topic not only to find out if the role of a small state i!
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