In all the political discussions these days, the “Electoral College” is constantly mentioned.

The word “college” conjures up, or should conjure up, the concept of a group meeting together like the faculty of a university, or the College of Cardinals that chooses a new Pope, or the caucus or conference of party members in Congress or the House of Commons.

As a matter of fact, the presidential electors from the several states never meet together officially. The late President Roosevelt did bring them together for a social gathering, but that was after they had elected the President. [Franklin Delano Roosevelt]

The Constitution directs that the electors shall meet in their respective states and there vote for President and Vice President, sending their ballots to the presiding officer of the Senate. The original intent was that they should first discuss and deliberate, so that in this sense there was to have been something like an electoral “college” in each of the states.

Now, however, the electors in each state merely vote as directed by a majority or plurality of the voters in that state. In almost all the states the voters now choose directly as among the presidential candidates, rather than among the candidates for electors. The electors thus are in effect rubber stamps for the voters. They certainly are not collectively anything like a “college.”

And a movement now is underway to reorganize the presidential election system and to do away with the ancient college.