How Article II, Section 1 Supports the Electoral College

Learn how Article II, Section 1 gives states the power to choose presidential electors, creating the constitutional foundation for the Electoral College.

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Article II, Section 1 supports the Electoral College by giving each state the authority to decide how its presidential electors are chosen.

  1. The Constitution says each state appoints a number of electors equal to its total number of senators and representatives in Congress.
  2. It says the state legislature determines the manner of appointing those electors.
  3. Today, states generally let voters choose between presidential candidates, and the winning candidate’s electors are then appointed under state law.
  4. The electors meet and cast the official votes for president and vice president.

So, Article II does not use the name “Electoral College,” but its rules establish the system’s basic structure: states appoint electors, and those electors vote for the president. Congress and later constitutional amendments added further rules.

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