Obama has not been re-elected President of the United States - Page 2

Platapus · 11-08-12, 08:18 PM

Barack Obama has not been re-elected President of the United States of America, well at least not yet anyway.

Or, why do we have an election 2 ½ months before changing office?

The Citizens did their part by casting their votes, either early, via absentee voting, or by showing up at the polls on 6 November.

Sure all the news stations have proclaimed that Senator Obama won the election, but not to fast there. The 6 November is but one of the elections that selects the President.

The election for President is not until 6 January 2013. It is just that we won't be involved. Here is what will happen.

Between 7 November and shortly before 17 December, the various state election boards will be busy counting (and recounting) the votes cast on 6November, the mailed-in absentee ballots, the early voting ballots, and the provisional ballots (after being verified). The popular vote determines which party's electors will be selected to represent the state.

Then the electors (13 from Virginia), will travel down to the State Capitol to take part in another election on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December (17 December). They will cast their vote for President and Vice President in two separate votes.

The Electors record their votes on seven "Certificates of Vote," which are paired with the seven remaining original "Certificates of Ascertainment." The Electors sign, seal and certify the packages of electoral votes and immediately send six of them to the President of the Senate, the Archivist of the United States and other designated Federal and State officials. These sealed votes include the names of the Electors and who they voted for (no secret ballot for Electors!)

The sealed votes must be delivered to the Senate no later than 26 December, 2012.

After everyone sobers up after New Years, both houses of the Congress will meet and watch the Vice President physically count 53 vote packages (50 states and DC) on 6 January, 2013. This is one of the reasons not to get rid of the Electoral College. Can you imagine how long it would take the Vice President to physically count 100,000,000 + votes?

Hey! 53 packages but only 50 states + DC? What gives?

48 states and DC have adopted a winner take all Electoral system. In those states (DC is considered a state for these purposes) what ever party gets the highest number of votes gets ALL of the electoral votes of that state). There are only two exceptions to this. Nebraska and Maine have adopted a proportional Electoral system. Nebraska and Maine, in 2013, will end up with 2 different Electoral votes which total the total number of Electoral votes for that state.

Both Nebraska and Maine use the same method for proportional elector voting. Two electors are selected on the basis of the statewide vote and two (for Maine, three for Nebraska) are selected according to outcome of the vote in each of Maine's two (Nebraska's three) Congressional districts.

So the Vice President will have to lick his vote counting finger 53 times this January before any one can be elected President of the United States.

Ok, so if the President is really really elected on 6 January, when why do we have to wait 14 days until inauguration?

Well it used to be a lot longer wait. Inauguration Day was originally set for March 4, giving electors from each state nearly four months after Election Day to cast their ballots for president. In 1933, the day of inauguration was changed by constitutional amendment (20th) from March 4 to Jan. 20 to speed the changeover of administrations.

Pretty complicated process just to elect someone to blame.

11-08-12, 08:18 PM	#1
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,365 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Obama has not been re-elected President of the United States Barack Obama has not been re-elected President of the United States of America, well at least not yet anyway. Or, why do we have an election 2 ½ months before changing office? The Citizens did their part by casting their votes, either early, via absentee voting, or by showing up at the polls on 6 November. Sure all the news stations have proclaimed that Senator Obama won the election, but not to fast there. The 6 November is but one of the elections that selects the President. The election for President is not until 6 January 2013. It is just that we won't be involved. Here is what will happen. Between 7 November and shortly before 17 December, the various state election boards will be busy counting (and recounting) the votes cast on 6November, the mailed-in absentee ballots, the early voting ballots, and the provisional ballots (after being verified). The popular vote determines which party's electors will be selected to represent the state. Then the electors (13 from Virginia), will travel down to the State Capitol to take part in another election on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December (17 December). They will cast their vote for President and Vice President in two separate votes. The Electors record their votes on seven "Certificates of Vote," which are paired with the seven remaining original "Certificates of Ascertainment." The Electors sign, seal and certify the packages of electoral votes and immediately send six of them to the President of the Senate, the Archivist of the United States and other designated Federal and State officials. These sealed votes include the names of the Electors and who they voted for (no secret ballot for Electors!) The sealed votes must be delivered to the Senate no later than 26 December, 2012. After everyone sobers up after New Years, both houses of the Congress will meet and watch the Vice President physically count 53 vote packages (50 states and DC) on 6 January, 2013. This is one of the reasons not to get rid of the Electoral College. Can you imagine how long it would take the Vice President to physically count 100,000,000 + votes? Hey! 53 packages but only 50 states + DC? What gives? 48 states and DC have adopted a winner take all Electoral system. In those states (DC is considered a state for these purposes) what ever party gets the highest number of votes gets ALL of the electoral votes of that state). There are only two exceptions to this. Nebraska and Maine have adopted a proportional Electoral system. Nebraska and Maine, in 2013, will end up with 2 different Electoral votes which total the total number of Electoral votes for that state. Both Nebraska and Maine use the same method for proportional elector voting. Two electors are selected on the basis of the statewide vote and two (for Maine, three for Nebraska) are selected according to outcome of the vote in each of Maine's two (Nebraska's three) Congressional districts. So the Vice President will have to lick his vote counting finger 53 times this January before any one can be elected President of the United States. Ok, so if the President is really really elected on 6 January, when why do we have to wait 14 days until inauguration? Well it used to be a lot longer wait. Inauguration Day was originally set for March 4, giving electors from each state nearly four months after Election Day to cast their ballots for president. In 1933, the day of inauguration was changed by constitutional amendment (20th) from March 4 to Jan. 20 to speed the changeover of administrations. Pretty complicated process just to elect someone to blame. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right. Last edited by Platapus; 11-09-12 at 08:13 PM. Reason: Fixed wrong date.