# Another question on the Electoral College

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-on-the-electoral-college/42719>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 26, 2000, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-on-the-electoral-college/42719 "2000-11-26T03:04:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KwikStah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47c2d/32.png) [@KwikStah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KwikStah)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-on-the-electoral-college/42719/1 "2000-11-26T03:04:53Z")

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Who selects the electors, and has it always been that way?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-on-the-electoral-college/42719/2 "2000-11-26T03:07:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by KwikStah \*  
> \*\*Who selects the electors, and has it always been that way?
> 
> Thanks. \*\*

The parties (Democrats, Republicans, etc.) in each state choose a slate of electors. Thus, in New York, there were 33 Republican electors, 33 Democratic electors, 33 Green electors (not that anyone thought they’d win…). Since Gore won the election in New York, the Democrat electors will be the 33 who will cast their votes.

Zev Steinhardt

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-on-the-electoral-college/42719/3 "2000-11-26T03:41:25Z")

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More specifically, the electors are chosen by the state legislature, who nowadays just go with whoever the party of the winning candidate has chosen.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-question-on-the-electoral-college/42719/4 "2000-11-26T07:25:35Z")

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The state legislatures usually don’t choose the electors now. The parties nominate the electors for the state and they tell the appropriate elections official in the state who they are (they can’t be in Congress or hold any other Federal position). The state legislature passes the laws that set up this process, but legislatures usually don’t choose the electors.

Except possibly in Florida.