The 2012 U.S. presidential election is the perfect opportunity to present a timely civics lesson on how a U.S. president is elected. More important, it offers opportunities for students to reason mathematically about election issues--for example, about how much time and resources the candidates should invest in particular states. The results of the previous U.S. presidential election provide an ideal backdrop for introducing the electoral voting system, weighted voting, and the Banzhaf and Shapley-Shubik Power Indices. By investigating these concepts, students will solve authentic, real-world problems and value the utility of mathematics (NCTM 2000). (Contains 3 figures and 4 tables.)