If I’m actually voting for an elector, then why did I see “George W. Bush” and “John Kerry” on my 2004 presidential ballot?
Electors can theoretically vote for whomever they want—however in practice they pledge to vote for a certain candidate. This has created a system in which the American people vote indirectly for the president by voting for an elector (or statewide slate of electors) who supports their candidate of choice. This is further streamlined by the fact that most states do not list the names of potential electors on a ballot, but rather the names of the candidates they’ve promised to vote for.
