Do states actually need to hold the presidential election?

[ChrisMcDanielWasRobbed]

Or could they just appoint electors, like what South Carolina did every election before the civil war?

[Donerail]

Yes. State legislatures have broad authority to pick electors in whatever way they see fit.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Yeah, the only real requirement is that election day for the electors be the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November regardless of whether the voters or the legislature does so. (3 USC 1).

That said, the electors haven't been appointed by a State legislature since 1876, when Colorado did it.

[Alcibiades]

Yeah, the only real requirement is that election day for the electors be the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November regardless of whether the voters or the legislature does so. (3 USC 1).

That said, the electors haven't been appointed by a State legislature since 1876, when Colorado did it.

If I am not mistaken, some states voted for electors individually until more recently. Do you until when and which states they were?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Yeah, the only real requirement is that election day for the electors be the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November regardless of whether the voters or the legislature does so. (3 USC 1).

That said, the electors haven't been appointed by a State legislature since 1876, when Colorado did it.

If I am not mistaken, some states voted for electors individually until more recently. Do you until when and which states they were?

I believe Alabama last had a split delegation because of individual election of electors in 1960, and that they changed that law by 1975, if not earlier.  Whether there were more recent elections than 1960 in which it would have been possible for a voter in some State to elect specific electors, but which didn't affect the State's results, I can't say.

[ChrisMcDanielWasRobbed]

I think all states should go back to appointing their presidential electors by the legislature. It sure would save an extremely long and polarizing election cycle. We should also repeal the 17th amendment for the same reason.

[Bakersfield Uber Alles]

Yeah, the only real requirement is that election day for the electors be the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November regardless of whether the voters or the legislature does so. (3 USC 1).

That said, the electors haven't been appointed by a State legislature since 1876, when Colorado did it.

If I am not mistaken, some states voted for electors individually until more recently. Do you until when and which states they were?

You could make the argument that Maine and Nebraska do to some extent given how they allot their Electoral Votes.

I think it would be interesting if a state made electoral college districts (especially a small state with only one or two congresscritters) that did not have any statewide allocation, but I digress.