There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about the role of voting when it comes to presidential elections, but primary elections and the general election.

At all levels, the votes that we place in our local precincts are actually votes inform our state representatives as to how we would like them to vote for us.

At the primary level, each state has been allocated a certain number of representatives (called "delegates") by the National Parties (DNC/RNC). It's up to the state parties to determine what method they would like to use to allocate their delegates to their candidates who are running. Some states parties use a caucus system, some use a primary election, some (like Texas use a combination, and Michigan, for example, chose an entirely different method this year with the split between Clinton & Obama. States are in charge of their primary system and can choose the system they want and whether they want to allocate delegates proportionally or "winner-take-all".

When we vote at the primary level, we are telling our local party who we would most like to see as our party's nominee to the general election. Local delegates are allocated to candidates depending on the proportion of votes each receives. Local delegates then attend District Conventions where District delegates are selected for the candidates. These delegates go to Country elections where County delegates are selected for the candidates. Country delegates go to State conventions where the State delegates are selected for the candidates. These are the delegates who will go to the National convention and cast their vote for their candidate.

At each level, it's a representational system. The States' delegates are those who elect the nominee, not the popular vote. A popular vote is informational or instructional only - it does not directly elect a nominee.


At the General level, each state has been allocated a certain number of representatives called "Electors." When we go to the polls in November, our local votes are rolled up into a State total. For the General, all states have a "winner-take-all" system and each states' electors are all mandated to vote for the individual who won the most popular votes in the state. This is why the candidate who wins the most popular votes is not always the person who wins the Presidency.

In December of each election year, the Electors all meet in Washington D.C. when the Electoral College is convened and they cast their votes for their state's candidate. This is where the president is actually elected... the candidate with the most Electoral votes is the person who will be the next President. Early in January, Congress meets to approve the results of the Electoral College vote. It is only after this point can the candidate actually be inaugurated on January 20th.


The Founders of our country did not design our system as a direct democracy; they designed a system of representation at all levels. That is the system under which we still operate. It may be time to debate the value of such a system at this time, now, when communications are so vastly different from what they were 200+ years ago. But such a debate requires an understanding of the system and how it works today and why, and what the intricacies would be in reforming the system.

"One person, one vote," "Every vote counts" and "Count every vote" and honorable sentiments and inspire participation and integrity in elections. When these sentiments are used as political slogans, as is inherent in political slogans, they are simplistic and information is missing. Some of the missing information is this: "who or what it is that your vote is actually electing." At no point in our history, to date, has our local votes ever directly elected a President or a Presidential Candidate. Which doesn't mean that our votes don't count... because they do. They are a vote to inform our representative as to our preference.