Political Science Conduct Survey of Presidential Electors

Dr, Robert Alexander and his political science students are conducting their third survey of presidential electors this quarter.

Surveys that collect data regarding electors' demographic data, along with their thoughts on the Electoral College, the political process, and the current state of party politics are being sent to all 538 electors around the nation.

The first survey garnered a great deal of national attention, including a panel discussion that was broadcast on CSPAN during election night 2004, and Dr Alexander, along with then ONU students David Brown and Jason Kaseman also published an article, Pinning a "Face on the Electoral College" on the findings in PS: Political Science and Politics in 2004 (read article). Brown is now a lawyer in Cleveland and Kaseman is in the PhD program at Georgetown.

The survey, which has been done after each presidential election since 2000, has received outstanding response rates from electors. In 2000, 63% of electors responded, and in 2004 67% returned the surveys. One of the most interesting results of the surveys so far is that many more electors have considered becoming "faithless electors" and changing their votes than most would think possible.

Dr. Alexander has recently submitted a chapter on the Electoral College entitled Lobbying the Electoral College - the Potential for Chaos to a forthcoming compilation entitled Electoral College Reform: Challenges and Possibilities, edited by Gary Bugh, and is currently working on his own book on the institution.

Student pictured above studding surveys in envelopes are (L-R) Jesse Longbrake, Shaili Patel, Kelly Morman, and Doug Chapel.