Who counts the Electoral College vote?
House of Representatives***
Senate
state legislatures
Supreme Court
None of those answers is correct.
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html
Which do you think is the closest answer? I only got these choices.
I pick Senate as my final answer.
Neither is correct. Tell your teacher there's an error in the test. As that site clearly states, the electoral college votes are counted by a joint session of Congress.
The correct answer is the House of Representatives, but it is important to note that they do not count the Electoral College vote alone. The counting process involves multiple steps and involves different branches of the government.
Here's how it works:
1. The Electoral College: After a presidential election, the Electoral College, which consists of electors from each state, casts their votes for the candidate who won the popular vote in their respective state.
2. The Certificates of Ascertainment: Prior to the meeting of the Electoral College, each state prepares a document called the "Certificate of Ascertainment" that includes the list of electors and the candidate they pledged to support. These certificates are sent to the President of the Senate (Vice President) and the Archivist of the United States.
3. Joint Session of Congress: On January 6th following the presidential election, a joint session of Congress is held, where the Senate and House of Representatives come together. The Vice President presides over the session.
4. Counting of Electoral Votes: The President of the Senate opens the Certificates of Ascertainment and presents them to the Senate, where they are counted. The Vice President then announces the results.
5. Objections: If there are no objections to the Electoral College votes, the process continues. However, if there are objections from at least one senator and one member of the House of Representatives regarding the validity of the counting, a separate vote is held in each chamber to decide whether to accept or reject the objection.
6. If an objection is sustained by both houses, the vote in question is not counted. If the objection is not sustained, the vote is counted as originally presented.
In summary, while the House of Representatives plays a role in the counting process, it is a joint effort with the Senate, and the ultimate authority lies with the Vice President who presides over the session.