In 2016, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly three million votes. However, Donald Trump became president by carrying the Electoral College, 304-227.

At its April meeting, the Restless Minds discussion group will explore the Electoral College system of choosing presidents.

The group will meet at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, in the Sewing Room of Oakwood’s Arts & Crafts Center. Restless Minds is open to all people with inquisitive minds. There are no fees or signup requirements. Just show up and participate.

Mrs. Clinton’s popular vote victory but electoral vote defeat isn’t unique. It has happened several times before. As recently as 2000, Al Gore carried the popular vote by 500,000 but lost the presidency. Discussion leader Kyle Patterson will explore how this can happen by taking a close look at the Electoral College concept. It’s in the Constitution, but is it still relevant today? And who are the Electors anyway?

States like California, New York, Texas and Florida all have large blocs of Electors. Do they have too much influence on the national outcome? Conversely, states with tiny populations have a minimum of three Electors. Do they have excessive influence?

The open discussion on just how we elect our presidents promises to be a lively one.