Evening star., 1932-10-02
ELECTORS COLLEGE
INTERESTS VOTERS
House Clerk and Secretary OF
Senate Are Flooded With
Inquiries.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
The presidential campaign has re-
vived the Nations quadrennial interest
in the electoral college that is selected
by the voters every four years to name
the next Chief Executive and Vice
President
Information about the institution is
being sought by national and State po-
utlcal leaders and officials, along with
the curious voters. Questions about its
purpose and functions are pouring into
the Offices OF the House clerk and the
Senate secretary.
Although it has evolved into a col
1ege deemed by many statesmen as more
suitable to the modern trend in Fed
eral and State Government. its gen.
eral basic features as developed by the
Nations forefathers, are followed.
Equal to Congressman.
Each State has as many electoral
votes in the institution as it has seats
in the House and Senate Territories
and possessions are witaout representa-
ton. With 435 seats in the House and
96 in the Senate. the total is 531. In
order to be elected President and Vice
President. party candidates have to OBJ
tain a majority. or 266 electoral votes.
For presidential ticket to acquire
the electoral vote of any State, the
slate of electors of its party must be
chosen by majority of the popular
vote.
At its inception the American sys-
tenn of electing presidential ticket
provided for distinctly an indirect vote.
For many years in the Nations youth,
State Legislatures named the electors.
The clamor for more direct vote al
tered this Electors are now named
either by State party conventions or
committees.
In recent years. several States, led
by Iowa, have made further de-
parture. Whereas. formerly in some
States, the names of electors only ap-
peared on the ballots, now those of the
presidential and vice presidential can
didateS appear alone. A vote for
ticket means ballot for the entire
party slate of electors.
Others Have Both Tickets.
In other States both the national
tickets and electors Of both parties APP
pear The voter has the opportunity of
marking his TX" either behind a preSi-
dental ticket or behind the electors of
his choice. But in most States the cleo
toral states only appear.
The lack of uniformity of State laws
with regard to the selection Of electors
is blamed by authorities on the simple
requirements of the Constitution as
amended.
Under it each State was left its own
way of appointing electors, except that
an elector could not hold any Govern
ment position. Congress however. was
given authority to determine the time
of choosing them Thus it fixed as
national election day the first Tuesday
following the first Monday in November
each four years.
In addition, it also fixed day for
the meeting of the electoral college,
which is the second Wednesday in jan
uary following the November elections
The successful electors in each State
are required to meet at place desig-
mated by the Legislature to cast their
votes. certify them and transmit them
to the Federal Capital.
Meet to Count Vote.
Both the Senate and House presided
over Jointly by the Vice President and
Speaker, meet on the second Wednesday
in February to count the electoral vote
While the successful electors in the
various States constitute the electoral
college. only State groups meet The
name college" was given the institu-
ton in debate in Congress in 1910 and
has become official through usage.
Until 1928, when Congress passed an
act authorizing the electors to certify
the results to the Secretary of State
and to Congress by registered mail each
State designated an individual to carry
the vote to Washington.