“The Electoral College in United States Presidential Elections”
Dr. Laura E. Stevenson
15.12.2020, Tuesday: 18:00 – 19:00
Abstract
The United States is experiencing an unprecedented challenge to the outcome of the presidential election by the incumbent President, made possible by the arcane and complex Electoral College system. The Electoral College has been heavily criticized in the past as unwieldly and undemocratic; however, because it was established in Article II of the Constitution, it has withstood numerous efforts to abolish or modify it. Dr. Stevenson will describe the history and functioning of the Electoral College, with a focus on the status of the U.S. presidential election and the steps that will be occurring prior to inauguration day on January 20, 2021.
Short Bio
Dr. Laura E. Stevenson is an attorney in the United States and has practiced law in Georgia for thirty years. Dr. Stevenson has argued before the Georgia Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals, and federal district court, and she has litigated in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Dr. Stevenson is currently the Senior Judge for the City of Brookhaven Municipal Court and previously served as a Magistrate Judge in Cobb County, Georgia.
Dr. Stevenson holds a JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law (editor, NC Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation), a MA in applied linguistics from Georgia State University (law school tutor), and a BA in economics from Davidson College