# Bush wins Electoral College, Gore wins Popular vote **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 8, 2000, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-electoral-college-gore-wins-popular-vote/40281 "2000-11-08T11:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**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 8, 2000, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-electoral-college-gore-wins-popular-vote/40281/21 "2000-11-08T22:11:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Hook \* > \*\* > I believe Nebraska awards the two senatorial based EC votes to the popular winner and divides the rest on percentages. I would be satisfied if that were the norm instead of the exception. \*\* Close, but not exactly. They just break it down to another level. The process in Maine and Nebraska is as follows: The statewide winner gets 2EC votes. In each House District, the winner of that district gets one EC vote. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![kgriffey79](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-electoral-college-gore-wins-popular-vote/40281/22 "2000-11-08T23:49:05Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by headshok \* \*\* > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by DavidB_Hey, you’ve got my vote. Why should a few thousand people in Florida have the final say in who gets elected to the presidency? You are very wrong. The presidency has not come down to Florida! It is like in a basketball when somebody misses a shot at the end to win the game. People blame that person instead of blaming the idiot who missed a wide open lay in because he tried to dunk from the free throw line. You only say the Florida decided the election because it cam in last. So you can’t say that the electoral college method is bad because it puts the whole country in the hands of one state!!! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Pinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dr.Pinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Pinky)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-electoral-college-gore-wins-popular-vote/40281/23 "2000-11-09T00:02:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by IzzyR \* > \*\*For this reason there is likely to be insurmountable resistance to a constitutional reform of the electoral college, as the smaller states would be loath to give up this additional clout. \*\* Must disagree with you there, Iz-Man. What kind of ‘clout’ does Alaska have? Sure, we have less population than downtown Milwaukee, but I don’t think a presidential candidate has been by since McKinley. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-electoral-college-gore-wins-popular-vote/40281/24 "2000-11-09T00:14:50Z")
What clout does Alaska have? Well, the ability to decide the presidency, which Alaska had last night. If Alaska had gone to Gore instead of Bush, Gore could win without Florida. EVERY state yesterday had the presidency in its control, because if Bush wins, he’ll win by only one EC vote. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/91b2a8/32.png) [@Duck\_Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Hook)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-electoral-college-gore-wins-popular-vote/40281/25 "2000-11-09T06:04:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\* > Close, but not exactly. They just break it down to another level. The process in Maine and Nebraska is as follows: > > The statewide winner gets 2EC votes. > > In each House District, the winner of that district gets one EC vote. > > Zev Steinhardt \*\* Thanks for the clarification. That does seem a more quantifiable method for distributing the EC votes than what I had incorrectly assumed…more equitible, as well, in comparison to statewide popular vote. At least a varying district has a voice. ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-electoral-college-gore-wins-popular-vote/40281/26 "2000-11-09T14:28:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dr.Pinky \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by IzzyR \* > > \*\*For this reason there is likely to be insurmountable resistance to a constitutional reform of the electoral college, as the smaller states would be loath to give up this additional clout. \*\* > > Must disagree with you there, Iz-Man. What kind of ‘clout’ does Alaska have? Sure, we have less population than downtown Milwaukee, but I don’t think a presidential candidate has been by since McKinley. \*\* Alaska is different, being overwhelmingly Republican, and far removed geographicly. A three-vote state that is competitive and more conveniently located would get alot more attention. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-electoral-college-gore-wins-popular-vote/40281.md?page=1)