Pre-class worksheet 1

Task 1. You are going to watch a video and learn about the way the US election works. What words or phrases spring to mind when you hear the word 'election'?

Task 2. Match the words on the left to their definitions on the right.

1. go to the polls

a. to vote in an election

2. the popular vote

b. a person who votes or a member of an electoral college in the USA

3. an electoral college

c. to get more than half of the votes cast

4. an elector

d. an act of voting by all the people in a country or area

5. to secure a majority

e. a body of electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the president and vice president of the U.S.

Task 3. Read the statements below. Do you think they are true or false?

1. In the US the president is elected directly by citizens.

2. It's possible to win the presidential election despite losing the popular vote.

3. The members of the electoral college play an important role in the US presidential election.

Task 4. Watch the video to find out if your ideas about the statements above were correct. Then watch it again and note down the answers to the questions given after the video.

1. When do Americans vote?
2. What is the Electoral College? How many members are there? How are they chosen?
3. How many of them will a presidential candidate need to get to win?
4. If a candidate loses the popular vote, does it mean they lose the election?
5. What are some political campaign strategies?