GED Election Practice Question… Answered

Yeah, everyone says there ain’t math in everyday life like in the GED math test, but look at how math makes a difference in who gets to be president? That’s a big deal… and you can see the same sort of math on the GED. So, here’s the question… Here’s some info, just about a few states, so you can see what’s what:
Alabama…9 electoral college votes…4.5 million people
Alaska…3 electoral college votes…0.6 million people
Arizona…10 electoral college votes…5.1 million people
Arkansas…6 electoral college votes…2.7 million people

So, here’s your GED test practice question…

Alabama: Democrat = 2.2 million votes
Republican = 2.3 million votes

Alaska: Democrat = .5 million votes
Republican = .1 million votes

Arizona: Democrat = 2.3 million votes
Republican = 2.8 million votes

Arkansas: Democrat = 1.7 million votes
Republican = 1 million votes

GED Question 1: What’s the total popular vote for each candidate?

This is an easy one, right? On the GED they got this thing called “number sense,” and that just means knowin’ what kind of math to use and bein’ able to get the numbers to do what got to do. So, here, all you got to do is add up the “popular vote”…that’s the total people that voted…for each candidate:

Democratic = 2.2 + .5 + 2.3 + 1.7 = 6.7 million people

I can totally do that in my head… cuz 2.2 + 2.3 = 4.5, plus .5 = 5 even, plus 1.7 = 6.7

Republican = 2.3 + .1 + 2.8 + 1 = 6.2 million people

Faster you can do this kinda math on the GED, the better you’ll do. So, I can say, 2.8 + 2.3 would be 5.1, plus .1 is 5.2, plus 1 even is 6.2. By the popular vote, the Democrat wins by about half a million. But in real life, it don’t go that way… so there’s the second GED question…

GED Question 2: What’s the total electoral vote for each candidate?

Electoral votes goes by states. Each state got so many of ‘em, an the people in the state vote to see who gets their state’s votes. So, it’s like the state votes for the president instead of the people votin’ for the president. That’s good background for the social studies GED. But it’s also good for the math GED, cuz you got to use your number sense. In each state, the person who gets most votes in that state, gets the electoral college votes, like this:

Alabama: Republican gets more votes = 9 electoral college votes

Alaska: Democrat gets more votes = 3 electoral college votes

Arizona: Republican gets more votes = 10 electoral college votes

Arkansas: Democrat gets more votes = 6 electoral college votes

Republican = 19 electoral college votes

Democrat = 9 electoral college votes

Landslide victory for the Republican! But wait… more people voted for the Dem… what gives?

GED Question 3: If these were all the states, who wins?

Easy… the popular vote don’t count, only the electoral college votes, so the Republican wins. These numbers are all made up, but do you see how that math works? Math is about manipulating numbers, right? So how you calculate a vote with math can change the outcome… These GED skills is things you can use in life.

The election fun is just gettin’ started, with Obama and Huckabee winning in Iowa and New Hampshire bein’ the next contest… so I’ll think of some more GED math for these here elections.

To find out more about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at passGED.com.