Electoral college facts for kids
An electoral college is a special group of people chosen to pick a leader for a specific job or "office." Think of it like a smaller, special voting group. Each person in this group, called an "elector," usually gets one vote.
Sometimes, these electors represent different groups or parts of a country. Other times, they are important people whose wisdom is thought to help make a better choice than if everyone voted directly. An electoral college can sometimes make a decision that is different from what the general public might want.
Contents
What is an Electoral College?
An electoral college is a system where citizens don't directly vote for a president or leader. Instead, they vote for a group of electors. These electors then cast the actual votes for the leader. It's like choosing a team of representatives who then make the final decision.
Why Do Countries Use Them?
Countries use electoral colleges for different reasons. One main idea is to make sure that all parts of a country, even smaller areas, have a say in choosing the leader. It can also be used to ensure that a leader has support from many different regions, not just the most populated ones.
A Look Back in History
A similar idea was used a long time ago in the Holy Roman Empire. This was a large empire in Europe that lasted for many centuries. The leader, called the Holy Roman Emperor, was chosen by a group of powerful rulers from different parts of the empire. These rulers were known as "Prince-electors."
For example, King George III of Great Britain was also a Prince-elector. Even though he was king of Britain, he also had a role in choosing the Holy Roman Emperor, showing how these systems connected different lands and leaders.
Related pages
Images for kids
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German Prince-Electors, the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire.
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This map shows how votes were divided in the U.S. Electoral College after the 2010 census.
See also
In Spanish: Colegio electoral para niños
