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Week ahead: 3 things to know

COLLEGE. BRITTANY: THIS IS THE MAP BREAKING DOWN ELECTION RESULTS YOU’RE PROBABLY USED TO SEEING. BUT THIS IS THE MAP THAT TRULY BREAKS DOWN HOW THE ELECTION PROCESS WORKS. THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT HOW MANY ELECTORAL VOTES EACH STATE HAS . MORE ON THAT IN A MINUTE. SO, WHAT IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? >> HERE IS ANOTHER LOOK AT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AS THE NUMBER STAND RIGHT NOW. BRITTANY: ELECTION DAY 2020. YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER HEARING ALL THIS TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER 270. 270 IS THE NUMBER OF ELECTORAL VOTES EITHER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP OR CHALLENGER JOE BIDEN NEEDS TO GRAB IN ORDER TO WIN THE WHITE HOUSE. THERE ARE 538 ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES TOTAL, SO 270 IS JUST ABOVE THE HALFWAY MARK. >> CAST YOUR VOTES FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. BRITTANY: THE UNITED STATES IS THE ONLY COUNTRY USING THIS METHOD, AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE, MADE UP OF DELEGATES FROM EACH STATE, TO PICK ITS HEAD OF STATE. DANIELLE MARTIN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT SACRAMENTO STATE UNIVERSITY SAYS WHEN AMERICANS VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, THEY’RE ACTUALLY VOTING FOR WHO THEIR STATE WILL VOTE FOR. >> YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IT IS AN INDIRECT SYSTEM, IT’S NOT JUST A DIRECT VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, YOU ARE CASTING YOUR VOTE FOR AN ELECTOR TO REPRESENT YOU. BRITTANY: EACH STATE IS ALLOTTED A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF ELECTORAL VOTES. IT’S BASED ON THE COMBINED TOTAL OF THE STATE’S DELEGATES IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE 23RD AMENDMENT GRANTED WASHINGTON, D.C. THREE ELECTORAL VOTES. >> IT CORRESPONDS TO THE REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS, WHICH IS DETERMINED BY THE POPULATION, DETERMINED WITH REAPPORTIONMENT EVERY 10 YEARS WITH THE SENSES. BRITTANY: SINCE THE ELECTORAL VOTE DETERMINES THE WINNER, IT’S POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO WIN THE PRESIDENCY WITHOUT WINNING THE POPULAR VOTE. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST TWO DECADES. GEORGE W. BUSH IN 2000, AND PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN 2016. >> THE REASON THAT HAPPENS IS THE CANDIDATE WHO WINS THE POPULAR VOTE WON BY HUGE MARGINS IN SOME STATES BUT LOST BY CLOSE MARGINS AND OTHER STATES, SWING STATES. BRITTANY: SO, IF ELECTORAL VOTES ARE WHAT CHOOSES THE PRESIDENT, DOES MY VOTE EVEN COUNT? YOUR VOTE STILL MATTERS BECAUSE IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE OVERALL POPULAR VOTE THAT DETERMINES WHO WINS THE STATE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES. BRITTANY: 48 OUT OF 50 STATES HAVE A WINNER TAKE ALL SYSTEM, MEANING WHOEVER GAINS THE POPULAR VOTE WINS ALL OF THE STATE’S ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES. TWO STATES, MAINE AND NEBRASKA, ALLOCATE TWO ELECTORAL VOTES TO THE POPULAR VOTE WINNER IN THE STATE AND ONE ELECTORAL VOTE TO THE POPULAR VOTE WINNER IN EACH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. NOW, HOW DOES ONE BECOME AN ELECTOR? >> THE POLITICAL PARTIES SELECT THEIR OWN ELECTORS, AND HOW THE PARTIES DECIDE HOW TO SELECT THEIR ELECTORS IS DETERMINED BY THE PARTY ITSELF AND THAT COULD VARY BY STATE. BRITTANY: GET THIS, ELECTORS AREN’T NECESSARILY REQUIRED TO VOTE FOR THEIR STATE’S POPULAR VOTE WINNER. THOSE ARE CALLED FAITHLESS ELECTORS. SOMEONE WHO CASTS THEIR VOTE FOR A PERSON OTHER THAN WHO THEIR STATE DICTATES WHO THEY SHOULD VOTE FOR. >> IT IS REALLY RARE, AND IN SOME STATES, THEY WOULD CANCEL THE VOTES AND REPLACE THAT ELECTOR, AND OTHER STATES HAVE LEGAL PENALTIES OR FINES FOR FAITHLESS ELECTORS. BRITTANY: THERE ARE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM. IN TERMS OF KEEPING THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, SUPPORTERS SAY DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND THE PUBLIC VOTE ARE RELATIVELY RARE. >> ALTHOUGH IT IS TRUE THAT THE SWING STATES RECEIVE MORE ATTENTION THAN THEY WOULD OTHERWISE, IF WE HAD A DIFFERENT SYSTEM, THEY ALSO PROBABLY WOULD ARGUE THAT SWING STATES OFTEN ARE FAIRLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. IF WE HAD SOMETHING DIFFERENT LIKE A DIRECT NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE, IT WOULD PROBABLY PUSH PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS TO SPEND MORE TIME AND EFFORT IN THE MOST POPULOUS CITIES OR STATES, WHICH WOULD SHIFT THE INEQUITIES OF RESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN ATTENTION, NOT NECESSARILY SOLVE THE ISSUE. BRITTANY: MAKING CHANGES TO THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD REQUIRE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. BRITTANY JOHNSON, KCRA 3 NEWS. GULSTAN: EACH STATE HAS UNTIL DECEMBER 8 TWO SETTLE ON ELECTORS AND THEN THEY HAVE TO CERTIFY THE RES

Week ahead: 3 things to know

Court battles over presidential election results have a deadline, Hanukkah begins and Congress must act to avoid a shutdown. Above video: What exactly is the Electoral College?Here’s what to know for the week ahead:TuesdayEfforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election are coming to a close.All recounts and legal contests over results must be completed by Tuesday, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.Electors then cast their ballots in each state Dec. 14.ThursdayHanukkah begins Thursday evening, commemorating the triumph of Maccabee Jews in reclaiming and rededicating the Second Temple in Jerusalem from the Greek Syrians.To do so, they needed to keep the Temple’s menorah lit but only had enough oil for one night. Miraculously, the light burned for eight days.FridayLawmakers must act to prevent a government shutdown when a temporary spending bill expires Friday.To keep the government running, they must pass a stopgap spending bill known as a continuing resolution, which would put $1.4 trillion worth of unfinished agency spending into next year.The changeover in administrations probably wouldn’t affect an omnibus deal much.The Associated Press contributed.

Court battles over presidential election results have a deadline, Hanukkah begins and Congress must act to avoid a shutdown.

Above video: What exactly is the Electoral College?

Here’s what to know for the week ahead:

Tuesday

Efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election are coming to a close.

All recounts and legal contests over results must be completed by Tuesday, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Electors then cast their ballots in each state Dec. 14.

Thursday

Hanukkah begins Thursday evening, commemorating the triumph of Maccabee Jews in reclaiming and rededicating the Second Temple in Jerusalem from the Greek Syrians.

To do so, they needed to keep the Temple’s menorah lit but only had enough oil for one night.

Miraculously, the light burned for eight days.

Friday

Lawmakers must act to prevent a government shutdown when a temporary spending bill expires Friday.

To keep the government running, they must pass a stopgap spending bill known as a continuing resolution, which would put $1.4 trillion worth of unfinished agency spending into next year.

The changeover in administrations probably wouldn’t affect an omnibus deal much.

The Associated Press contributed.