Civic · 6 pages · 12 min
Why the national popular vote can diverge from the result
More ballots nationwide can still lose if the state electoral blocs add the other way.
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From the opening
The national popular vote adds citizen ballots across state lines, while the electoral result follows state outcomes and their electoral weights. Those two operations can name different winners because they are not counting the same units. The opening covers state blocs are the unit, surplus votes add no electors, and state weights are unequal.
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Inside
- State blocs are the unit
- Surplus votes add no electors
- State weights are unequal
- Both totals can be accurate
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Electoral college and popular vote
- Winner-take-all surplus votes