American election. Help needed.

Leekbrookgull

Well-known member

Jul 14, 2005

16,247

Leek

• Feb 10, 2016

• #1

Ok,its, one win each for the two Dems and the same for the Reps in their battle to win their parties nomination but these are the smaller states choosing a candidate at the moment,now i am aware that in the presidential race each state carries a number of votes which due to its size (and how is that worked out?) so i/e Texas 34 Idaho 4. Is it the same process that is used when a party chooses it,s presidential candidate ? To further confuse the matter is it a straight % vote win to win that states nomination i/e Cruz won Iowa on a higher % vote than Trump,but would Trump have won any nomination votes for finishing second ?

 

Albion my Albion

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Feb 6, 2016

17,834

Indiana, USA

• Feb 10, 2016

• #2

I heard that a delegate to the convention could actually change the vote that they were instructed to cast. Of course the delegates are the more ardent supporters of their candidates so it's not at all likely to happen. Although legally it could and has happened in the past.

 

beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius

Jul 21, 2003

35,292

• Feb 10, 2016

• #3

i wouldnt worry about it, its bonkers. Democrats and Republicans have different rules, and they change state to state. you have primaries where you vote as we would then caucuses which are like a meeting with a show of hands (?). its all about selecting "delegates" who go to a meeting, who select delegate at the next level... all the way up. then theres super delegates who count for more than the plebicites. once upon a time, in 1700's this all probably made sense in a country so large. now its looking a bit bonkers.

just watch the news and they'll tell who's winning.

 

Albion my Albion

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Feb 6, 2016

17,834

Indiana, USA

• Feb 10, 2016

• #4

I believe the number of electoral votes in the electoral college is determined by how many representatives in Congress and Senators a state has. One vote for each rep and one for each senator. Reps are determined by population and senators are two per state.

For the primary election each party has different rules. Most rules are determined by the party's state committee for each state. Some states allow a split vote by percentage of votes and some states say all the votes for their state go to the winning candidate.

 

Albion my Albion

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Feb 6, 2016

17,834

Indiana, USA

• Feb 10, 2016

• #5

Super delegates are only in the Democratic party. They are allowed to vote for the candidate that they personally choose. Therefore they know who is favoured to win and can influence the real outcome. Candidates that attend a party convention will lobby super delegates mostly because their vote is still winnable.

 

Norman Potting

Well-known member

Nov 5, 2006

13,967

Sussex, Sussex not by the sea and actually nearer

• Feb 10, 2016

• #6

..There is only one way to decide it, FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

 

Prince Monolulu

Everything in Moderation

Oct 2, 2013

10,201

The Race Hill

• Feb 10, 2016

• #7

Yeah. USA...USA.

 

Lord Bracknell

On fire

Jul 5, 2003

39,499

104 Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair

• Feb 10, 2016

• #8

Trump might have won the New Hampshire primary, but there is nothing to stop him withdrawing from the race before the Convention happens. The delegates would then decide to back someone else, like Sarah Palin, if they wanted to, even though she didn't put her name forward in the Primary election.

 

Elvis

Well-known member

Mar 22, 2010

1,413

Viva Las Hove

• Feb 10, 2016

• #9

With 538 electoral votes is it not possible for a 269 all draw.I know the Yanks don't do draws so I suppose they go into an overtime period.

 

HHGull

BZ fan club

Dec 29, 2011

662

• Feb 10, 2016

• #10

Prince Monolulu said:

Yeah. USA...USA.

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Fairly straight forward stuff then?!

 

Albion my Albion

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Feb 6, 2016

17,834

Indiana, USA

• Feb 11, 2016

• #11

Elvis said:

With 538 electoral votes is it not possible for a 269 all draw.I know the Yanks don't do draws so I suppose they go into an overtime period.

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If I remember correctly the Supreme Court decides if an election can't be decided. That may be because one candidate would sue in court over a minor issue (or major issue if there is one) to get it decided by the Supreme Court if that candidate thinks the SC will decide in his/her favour.

 

RexCathedra

Aurea Mediocritas

Jan 14, 2005

3,499

Vacationland

• Feb 11, 2016

• #12

Albion my Albion said:

If I remember correctly the Supreme Court decides if an election can't be decided. That may be because one candidate would sue in court over a minor issue (or major issue if there is one) to get it decided by the Supreme Court if that candidate thinks the SC will decide in his/her favour.

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House of Representatives should decide, any time no candidate has a majority of electoral votes.

What happened in 2000 was the Supreme Court ruling on various issues of counting votes that changed how Florida's electoral votes would have been allocated.
It wasn't a direct decision by the court, although it was tantamount to one.
You wouldn't automatically have a justiciable issue arising in every election -- in fact, whether the Supreme Court should have even heard Bush v. Gore was, and is, controversial.

 

G

Gwylan

Well-known member

Jul 5, 2003

31,336

Uffern

• Feb 11, 2016

• #13

Albion my Albion said:

Super delegates are only in the Democratic party. They are allowed to vote for the candidate that they personally choose. Therefore they know who is favoured to win and can influence the real outcome. Candidates that attend a party convention will lobby super delegates mostly because their vote is still winnable.

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And because Clinton has gathered most of the super delegate votes, she's pretty much guaranteed to win the election. For example, Sanders won New Hampshire comfortably (23% of HRC) but looks likely to have fewer delegates from that state than Clinton will get.

Sanders would have to win every state by a landslide to make real headway - and that ain't going to happen.

Bet Labour MPs wish they had super delegates over here, that would have stopped Corbyn in his tracks

 

Pinkie Brown

I'll look after the skirt

Sep 5, 2007

3,540

Neues Zeitalter DDR

• Feb 11, 2016

• #14

Elvis said:

With 538 electoral votes is it not possible for a 269 all draw.I know the Yanks don't do draws so I suppose they go into an overtime period.

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Americans sometimes have a unique way of settling electoral draws. As the Democrats recently done in Iowa when Sanders and Clinton were neck n neck with a 0.1 of a percentage between them, they simple spin a quarter and whoever calls correctly is the winner. Whoop Whoop Whoop.

Its a ridiculous way to settle an election. Rock, Scissors, Paper is way more democratic.

 

maltaseagull

Well-known member

Feb 25, 2009

12,986

Zabbar- Malta

• Feb 11, 2016

• #15

Lord Bracknell said:

Trump might have won the New Hampshire primary, but there is nothing to stop him withdrawing from the race before the Convention happens. The delegates would then decide to back someone else, like Sarah Palin, if they wanted to, even though she didn't put her name forward in the Primary election.

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Given that alternative I would prefer Trump!