TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Does Your Vote Count? The Electoral College Explained
A brief video that describes the Electoral College and its role in presidential elections. [5:22] Followed by a quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
US Government Publishing Office
Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Election of the President & Vice President: Electoral College
Ben's Guide is a fun way to present U.S. Government to students grades K-12. This site presents an in depth look at the electoral college. Links to related sites are available.
US National Archives
Nara: u.s. Electoral College: u.s. Electoral College
National Archives and Records Administration home page on the U.S. Electoral College. Contains details on historic voting patterns as well as technical details on procedures.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Write Now: The Electoral College
A module to learn and explore the electoral process.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Constitutional Compromises: The Electoral College
This resource from Khan Academy provides a lesson about the Electoral College. This lesson is intended for students taking high school or college level American Government and Civics courses, including the AP Government course.
This Nation
This nation.com: Electoral College
A textbook excerpt from ThisNation.com that includes a useful chart of electoral votes by state. Clickable links to pertinent articles and amendments of the Constitution are another plus.
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress for Kids: The Electoral College
Political parties want winner-take-all elections for electors. This means that the state that receives the most popular votes wins all the state's electoral votes. All the states except Maine use this winner-take-all system today.
Other
Electoral Vote Calculator
Use this interactive tool for determining the total electoral votes for each party in the next presidential election.
US Government Publishing Office
Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Election of the President & Vice President: Electoral College
Provides information on the Electoral College and how we use this system to elect the President of the U.S. Features links to much more information on the election.
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress Link: Reform the Electoral College? Two Views From Congress
Two congressmen provide arguments for and against the Electoral College, a system that has been used for over 200 years to elect the president of the United States. Contains links to more information.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: Annotation 2: Article Ii: Electoral College
Article explaining how the electoral college system works in American politics.
Other
National Council for the Social Studies: Teaching About the Electoral College
Are you actually electing the president when you vote on election day? This article explains how the Electoral College works, based on the 2004 election, and suggests activities for helping students understand it. The file can be...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Close Calls in u.s. Election History (2016)
Democracy and power to the people are celebrated as key American values, but sometimes democracy is more complicated than one might think. This informational text investigates some close calls in U.S. elections and what caused their...
Department of Defense
Do Dea: Ap Us Government and Politics: Unit 3: The Electoral College [Pdf]
This is a transcript of a podcast lecture from George C. Edwards III, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University. He explains how the Electoral College works and the impact it can have on the outcome of...
National Geographic
National Geographic: The Electoral College
Discover how the United States elects its president by using an Electoral College. A map shows how the Electoral College's 538 members are distributed throughout all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Library of Congress
Loc: Presidential Elections and the Electoral College
This congressional record of the proceedings of the Electoral Commission of 1877 includes primary source documents that give insight into the functions of the electoral college. Includes discussions of vote counting, contested results...
iCivics
I Civics: Popular v. President
Can the candidate who wins the majority of the popular votes miss out on being president? They can, and it's happened before.
Other
The u.s. Electoral College Calculator
Provides an overview of the electoral system and the process in which the president is elected. There is a visual calculator that lets you track election outcomes. Data for all U.S. elections is included.
Other
Gov Spot: The Presidential Election Process
"In simplified terms" learn about how the President and Vice President are elected. An overview describing the step by step process of the electoral process.
PBS
Pbs News Hour: The Electoral College (Lesson Plan)
A lesson that involves young scholars in defining, analyzing, and debating the pros and cons of the electoral college system.
New York Times
New York Times: Crossword Puzzle: The Electoral Process
Twice a month you can play a new crossword puzzle on The New York Times Learning Network. This one is called "The Electoral Process."
ClassFlow
Class Flow: American Idol for President
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart compares the voting processes used to elect an American Idol (Popular Votes) versus an American President (Electoral and Popular Votes). Opens up discussion about the reliability and/or...