We've been hearing about presidential election politics for a year and a half now, and sometimes all the noise of a vigorous race can obscure the fact that the democratic process itself can be pretty complex.

That's why we're launching a new series designed to decode some of the big questions around American elections. We're calling it Democracy 101.

We wanted to start with one of the quirkier facets of our election system, found in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution: the Electoral College.

Most elections are relatively straightforward: there are a few candidates, voters cast their ballots, and the one with the most votes wins. But presidential contests are different, according to Catawba College political scientist Michael Bitzer.

“What you're actually doing is voting for a slate of electors,” Bitzer says. “Fifteen people who represent Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party, and fifteen people who represent Donald Trump and the Republican Party, and so on.”

Essentially, your vote decides which party's electors will be allowed to cast their ballots for president.

This happens in each state, with the number of electors varying by population. When one candidate wins enough states to reach a majority of electoral votes – 270 – they've won the presidency.

Why in the world would the framers of the U.S. Constitution do it this way?

“The primary purpose of the Electoral College was to put kind of a safety valve if we ever had too much democracy,” Bitzer says.

In devising the American experiment, the Founding Fathers wanted to ensure citizens had a say in their government. But they were also big fans of making sure that no single entity could gather too much power.

“If there was some reason that [voters] elected someone that maybe the elites didn't want to have that much power, the Electoral College could basically step in as a checks and balances system,” Bitzer adds.

Checks and balances. Divisions of power. A mixture of local and national influence. The Electoral College is an echo of good old-fashioned American federalism.

But not everyone loves the idea. Critics point to the fact that a candidate can, in theory, become president by only winning a handful of states. And the current system makes it possible to win the electoral vote while losing the popular vote (Bush v. Gore, anyone?).

But Michael Bitzer points out overturning the current system would be difficult, since it's baked into the Constitution.

“There are some arguments against the Electoral College, but unless you take a Consitutional amendment to basically restructure it or do away with it, it's here to stay,” Bitzer says.

Whatever you think about the Electoral College system, your vote will help decide which candidate North Carolina selects for the most powerful job in the land.

So when the time comes, head to the polls and choose your candidate – and your electors – with pride.

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