The electoral college is the method by which the states cast their vote for President. The United States Constitution establishes the college in Article II, section 1 and in the 12th amendment. These sections describe the process of selecting electors and how the electors cast their votes.
The number of electors for each state equals the number of U.S. representatives and senators they have. For instance, South Carolina has 6 representatives and 2 senators; so, we have 8 electors.

Each political party submits its list of electors to the Secretary of State. Whichever party's electors will vote is decided by the popular vote. When a presidential candidate wins a state's popular election, then that candidate's party electors will cast their votes for president (Click here to see South Carolina's Presidential Electors). Since some states have a much greater population, this process insures that the smaller states have a greater say in who is president.

S.C. Code sections 7-19-70 through 7-19-120 set forth the requirements political parties and their electors must follow to properly register their proposed electors. The Secretary of State is designated the official in charge of filing each party's electors and each elector's declarations. Links to the statutory sections and to the U.S. Constitution are provided below.

By statute, the electors will cast their votes on December 18, 2000 at 11:00 AM in the office of the Secretary of State.