THE INFLUENCE OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGIUM ON THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Abstract

In this paper explained how Collegium and its historical development function, so that readers can get a clear picture why the United States has such a complex system of presidential election. Then it passed on the influences that the college has in the electoral process and in the end I have given an example where the collegium "decided", and those are the last presidential elections in 2016 in the United States. The president and the vice president are elected in indirect elections, that is, the citizens vote first, than determines which candidate has the highest number of votes at the level of each federal state, and according to that, determines how the electors in the election collegium will vote.The electoral college is a group of electors, usually members or loyal supporters of political parties who are nominated separately for each federal state. The formal task of the electors is, to give an electoral voice for the candidate who has won the largest number of votes in the federal state from which they come. The electors haven’t a constitutional obligation to respect the people's will, so there were more cases when a elector voted for another candidate, and not for that candidate who won the largest number of votes in the federal state. To be elected for president and vice president of the United States it is necessary 270 votes from an electoral college with a total of 538 voters.

Key words: USA, Electoral Collegium, Electors, President, Vice President