November 2012

President Barack Obama Is Reelected

President Barack ObamaPresident Barack Obama

President Barack Obama
President Barack Obama gave his victory speech at his campaign headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

On Tuesday, November 6, 2012, Americans flooded into polling places to vote for President. The race was close, but after the votes were counted Democratic President Barack Obama was declared the winner. He defeated his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. Romney is the former governor of Massachusetts.

In some states, people were allowed to vote early or by mail. Many people waited in long lines to vote early. On Election Day, some people in swing states waited hours to vote. Swing states are states in which neither Democrats nor Republicans have overwhelming support in winning that state’s Electoral College votes. Swing states include Ohio, Colorado, and Florida. The votes of people in each state, also known as the popular vote, count towards the Electoral College. The candidate that wins the popular vote in most states will receive all the Electoral College votes for that state.

After the polls closed, workers started counting the ballots. As the night went on, President Obama began to gain the lead. A little after 11:00 P.M., he had reached the 270 votes he needed to win the Electoral College. After the votes were counted, President Obama had won the Electoral College votes in most of the swing states. He had also won the popular vote.

Still the country’s citizens are sharply divided on many issues. Some important issues in this election included the economy, health care, and foreign policy. In his concession speech, Mitt Romney told his supporters that it was time to put aside the differences for the good of the country. In his victory speech, President Obama thanked his supporters. He also thanked Governor Romney and those who voted for his challenger. President Obama said, “. . . whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you’ve made me a better President. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead.”

©AP Photo/Jerome Delay

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Question 1
What are swing states?





 
Question 2
How many votes are needed to win the Electoral College?






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