A minor-party presidential candidate receives 15% of the popular vote in a particular state, while the two major-party candidates receive 45% and 40% of the vote, respectively. Under the electoral system used by the vast majority of U.S. states, which of the following describes how that state's electoral votes will be distributed?
- The candidate who received 45% of the vote will receive all of the state's electoral votes.Cevap
- BThe electoral votes will be divided proportionally among the three candidates based on their popular vote share.
- CThe state's electoral votes will be split equally between the top two candidates, and the third-party candidate will receive none.
- DThe state's electoral votes will be withheld until a runoff election is held between the top two candidates.
Cevap
The candidate who received 45% of the vote will receive all of the state's electoral votes.
In the winner-take-all system used by 48 states and Washington, D.C., the candidate who wins a plurality (the most votes, even if not a majority) of the popular vote in a state receives all of that state's electoral votes. Since the candidate with 45% of the vote has a plurality (more than the candidates with 40% and 15%), that candidate wins all of the state's electoral votes.
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Anahtar Kavram
The winner-take-all system of the Electoral College acts as a major structural barrier for third-party candidates, because they must win a plurality of votes within a state to secure any electoral votes from that state.