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2024 Election Ballot Sample
Ballots are specific to voters. Please log in to your voter portal to view your sample ballot through the site below:
https://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/my-voting-information/my-sample-ballot
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What is the Electoral College?
When a person casts their ballot vote, they are voting for electors who make up the Electoral College, who then vote for the president. With a potentially misleading name, the Electoral College is not a place, rather it is a process for how the United States decides who wins the presidency. The term can also refer to the body of electors chosen by each state.
Each state is designated a respective number of electors based on the state’s population size that is updated every ten years by the U.S. Census. The total electors consists of the total members of the House of Representatives, Senators, and electors from the District of Columbia.
The resources below are meant to guide you in your understanding of the Electoral College and how it operates in U.S. presidential elections.
Where to start in understanding how the Electoral College works?
Here is a quick 5-minute video explanation on the Electoral College by TED-Ed:
This ten-minute video from 2019 goes into depth about the Electoral College and addresses common criticism for the process:
Furthering Understanding in the Electoral College - Resources
These webpages are useful for learning more about the Electoral College.
- Electoral College Fast Facts (Office of Art & Archives)Created by the History, Art, & Archives of the United States House of Representatives, “Electoral College Fast Facts” is a quick, informative glance for information on electors, procedures, how objections within the Electoral College were met, and how the Electoral College process has been amended in the past.
- National Archives - Electoral College & FAQsThe National Archives houses historical U.S. government documents (federal, congressional, and presidential records) that are created or received by the President and his staff, by Congress, by employees of Federal government agencies, and by the Federal courts in the course of their official duties. This guide offers an FAQ and historical impact of the Electoral College since its inception.
- Library of Congress - Electoral College Research GuideA research guide created by the Law Library of Congress with the purpose to provide researchers with an overview of the law pertaining to the Electoral College and resources for further research, including locating primary, secondary, and online sources.
- Pros & Cons of the Electoral College (Britannica)Britannica is a nonpartisan online encyclopedia presenting on the pros and cons of debatable issues created by a staff of researchers and editors. This webpage offers three pros and three cons in whether the U.S. should use the Electoral College in presidential elections.