Electoral College clothes bonanza

Alleged irregularities have led to a storm of protest

A sportswear company - which uses the name of a non-existent university - is enjoying a surge in orders, thanks to the on-going battle for presidency of the United States.

Electoral College Sportswear and Accessories, based in Portland, Maine, is celebrating a record number of requests for sweat shirts, T-shirts and caps bearing the name of the system made famous by this month's presidential election.

America's most selective four-year institution

Slogan on Electoral College sports clothes

Company owners John and Marcia Diamond have taken time off their regular jobs and have had to take on two full-time workers to help cope with demand.

Sportswear buyers can opt for two styles: the sporty "Electoral College Athletic Department" or the academic look, featuring the White House with the words "established 1787".

Sales have been boosted by the drawn-out election

This was the year the electoral college system came into being, as a compromise between those Founding Fathers who wanted Congress to elect the president and those who wanted a popular vote.

Business boost

For John Diamond, the American people's recent soul-searching about the country's voting procedure has proved a financial winner.

"Our concern is that people will stop debating the issue. As long as they continue that debate, we have a product to sell," he said.

The clothing was aimed originally at political junkies who fully appreciated its slogan: "America's most selective four-year institution".

"It's very much an insiders' joke," John Diamond said. "I'll walk into airports and people will say 'Is that a public school?' and I'll say 'In a way, yes'."

But if the electoral college system is eventually scrapped, he and his wife will be looking for a new company brand.