electoral college

plural electoral colleges

1. governmentA body of electors empowered to elect someone to a particular office, such as the Holy Roman Emperor or the President of the United States.

   In Hong Kong, proponents for universal suffrage criticize that the current electoral college responsible for electing the Chief Executive is undemocratic and unrepresentative in nature.

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   [I]f the reigning president pleases his masters, he need be under no apprehensions of being turned out for any severities used to the people, for though the congress may not have influence enough to procure him the majority of the votes of the electoral college, yet they will always be able to prevent any other from having such a majority

   1788, "Aristocrotis", The Government of Nature Delineated; Or An Exact Picture of the New Federal Constitution, Carlisle, PA

2. Alternative letter-case form of Electoral College.

1. USgovernmentAn electoral college chosen, within a state, to formally cast that state's votes for the president and vice president of the United States.

   Each state's Electoral College submits its votes to the President of the Senate.

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   In later years Colonel Kent has been much in public life. He was an alternate delegate to the National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and in 1864 a member of the New Hampshire Electoral College, voting for Lincoln and Johnson.

   1898, Charles N. Kent, “Field and Staff of the Seventeenth”, in History of the Seventeenth Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, 1862-1863, Concord, N.H., →OCLC, page 44

   Oliver Wolcott, Jr., in summing up the election reports for his father at the end of November, pointed to the Rutledge faction as holding the presidency within its hands; the result would turn upon the balloting of the South Carolina electoral college, he stated, and Edward Rutledge was believed to command its decision. His reports from all over the Union indicated that Adams lacked but three votes for a majority. His fear was that Rutledge’s disgust with the Jay treaty would give the decision to Jefferson.

   1957, Stephen G. Kurtz, The Presidency of John Adams: The Collapse of Federalism, 1795-1800, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 171–172

   Although not now generally known, Guilford had a vital part in the presidential election of 1800, one of its citizens, John Noyes, being a member of the Vermont electoral college, which supported Thomas Jefferson, who was opposed by Aaron Burr, each receiving the same number of electoral votes.

   1961, “Guilford, "The Metropolis"”, in Official History of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961 With Genealogies and Biographical Sketches, Town of Guilford, →OCLC, page 157

2. USgovernmentAll of the electoral colleges of the United States, considered as one body.

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   In accordance with these opinions I believe that the ancient and outmoded Electoral College system should be abolished and that the people should vote directly in all the states for President and Vice President. The Electoral College was established in the beginning of our history for the same reasons which actuated our forefathers in providing that United States senators should be elected by the legislatures rather than by the people of the respective states.

   1954, Alben W. Barkley, That Reminds Me, Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 276

3. Alternative letter-case form of electoral college.First known use 1647

   The Electoral College is composed of Six Electors; Three Ecclesiatical, Mentz, Trier, Collen; and Three Secular, The Palatine, Sane, and Brandebourg

   1647, “Some Observations upon the Articles delivered by the Ambassadors of the Emperor”, in Journal of the House of Lords, volume ix, London, page 174