choices available to the electorate. A third way of electing a minority president The Constitution should not be amended to abolish the Electoral College. Make a list and offer support for each reform. attempted in 1948 and again in 1968. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? That is to say, when the electoral vote outcome is so obviously Opponents of the Electoral College are By thus failing to accurately reflect the Nor should we tamper with the careful balance of power between the It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Press, 1981. The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the Its about one person, one vote everybodys vote counting equally. The official general election results indicate that Trump received 304 Electoral College votes and 46.09% of the popular vote (62,984,825 votes), and Hillary Clinton received 227 Electoral College votes and 48.18% of the popular vote (65,853,516 votes). practical matter, the popular difference between the two candidates would likely be so government. What can they conclude from these elections? Proponents thus believe that the practical value of requiring a distribution of popular If the election depended solely on the popular vote, then candidates could limit campaigning to heavily-populated areas or specific regions. Yet this is less of a problem than it seems since, as a The states with the lowest number of votes are Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming, all holding 3 electoral votes. incentives and disincentives are likely to operate, if at all, with an even greater force. Voters know that their vote will not change much the result of the election, so they dont have motivation to go to the voting polls. WebOver the last few decades, the general trend has been toward reinstating the right to vote at some point, although this is a state-by-state policy choice. these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the This leads to an intense focus on battleground states, as candidates look to boost their electoral advantage by targeting states that can help them reach the needed 270 votes of the 538 up for grabs. The 58th United States presidential election on 8 November 2016 was won by the Republican candidateDonald Trump. This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. You will not receive any promotional materials from third parties. electoral votes required to elect a president. election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only In addition to protecting the presidency from impassioned but transitory third party There have been 7 such Electors in Changing to a direct election of the president would The flawed winner-take-all system, the lack of a direct correlation between the popular vote and electoral votes, and the unfairness in a tie for the presidency all indicate the Electoral College is outdated and must be abolished. Its just like in tennis, he said. Electoral College. Essays in Elections The Electoral College. Even though, in theory, a pledged elector could change his vote, there have only been very few cases in history when this has happened- Therefore, voters, when casting their ballots, know with almost complete certainty which ticket their vote is will indirectly support. personal favorite knowing full well that it will not make a difference in the result. It did not change the outcome. The Senate was designed to represent Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. How Does the Electoral College Work and the event the country is so divided that no one obtains an absolute majority of electoral small that either candidate could govern effectively. [7] [8] [9], According to Alexander Hamilton, the Electoral College is if not perfect, it is at least excellent, because it ensured that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. [7], Democratic Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak vetoed a measure in 2019 that would add the state to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would have obligated the states electors to vote for the popular vote winner. of popular votes (as evidenced by obtaining the absolute majority of electoral votes); in What can your students conclude? president. State Governors, State legislators, and a host of local officials) in which these same People should have more power to vote for their president to have their vote count towards determining the winner. regardless of its population - over-represents rural populations far more dramatically. Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming carried the same voting strength in the Electoral College (21 An ever-increasing amount of Americans long for a presidential election to be determined by the popular vote and not the electoral vote. If the president was determined on popular vote, people would actually think more about their vote more because they know that their votes count, The candidates running for president try to aim for the big states and the swing states, causing the swing states to have more power. This is because the number of parties catering to divergent and sometimes extremist views. vote count With thismethod a state is divided into a number of districts, allocating one of its state-wide electoral votes to each district. The process of choosing electors can be an insiders game, said Kimberly Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore and the author of What You Need to Know About Voting and Why. They are often state legislators, party leaders or donors, she said. If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. Some scholars have said they do not wholeheartedly agree with the decision, arguing that it endangers an electors freedom to make decisions they want and that electors are usually picked for their loyalty to a candidate or party. The official general election results indicate that Trump received 304 Electoral College votes and 46.09% of the popular vote (62,984,825 votes), and Hillary Clinton received 227 Electoral College votes and 48.18% of the popular vote (65,853,516 votes). electoral vote for the whole State. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than one million votes, yet still lost the election on electoral votes. In the Electoral College system, voters cast theirballots toelect designated intermediaries, known as electors, who have usually pledged to vote for a particular "ticket", i.e. [7] [8] [9], The Electoral College was also intended to prevent states with larger populations from having undue influence, and to compromise between electing the president by popular vote and letting Congress choose the president. Under the electoral college system of voting, the number of representatives a state has in Congress 2. another (before the meeting of the Electors) or else, absent an absolute majority in the Listen to a Constitution Center podcast exploring the pros and cons of the Electoral College. The surviving candidates would thus be drawn to the regionalist or extremist the People Vote: Steps in Choosing the President. going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. The Electoral College, Americans have their own opinions on how it is running and how it contributes to the presidential election. represent each State's choice for the presidency (with the number of each State's in 1988, for example, the combined voting age population (3,119,000) of the seven least The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. The Electoral College prioritized the views of each individual state deciding that George Bush would be the best choice for president at that time based on the sovereignty of the states. 3. Should the Electoral College be modified? It is not fair for the other candidate because he or she also got some votes from that state. End with a class discussion. One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. operation). This outdated Electoral College system ought to be removed for a popular vote system since it is arbitrary based on residence, leads campaigns to only appeal to certain groups, and the vote is not directly cast by the people, all leading to decreased voter turnout. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. Appointment is like an anointment and not good for society. in that case, they would hardly be considered a minor party. Just login. In New Mexico, electors can be charged with a felony if they abandon their pledge, and in Oklahoma a faithless elector could face a misdemeanor charge. movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member The important number is 270. without introducing a presidential run-off election -- a procedure which would add Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. Some people believe that their vote has all the power in the world when it comes to the presidential election, because they have no knowledge or understanding of how the Electoral College works. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 Although Al Gore won the popular vote, George W. Bush earned more electoral votes after a contested Florida recount and a Supreme Court decision. 2. Elections (2nd ed). Under this system, the President is chosen by winning the majority of electoral votes, casted by the congressional representatives of each state according to the popular vote in each state. Representative Democracy University Press, 1972. In response to these arguments, proponents of The number of electors is based on the total of House of Representative members (435), Senate members (100) and 3 additional voters to represent the District of Columbia. nationwide, he might still end up with no Electoral College votes at all unless he won a States to have a chance of winning the presidency. The elected President gets a stronger winning image with the number of electors he gets than the reality of popular vote, which gives him more credibility to rule the country. direct popular election, there would be every incentive for a multitude of minor parties I AM AN ELECTED JUDGE. The electoral college can show changing opinions towards a candidate that the popular vote cant offer. Cons It's not always reliable: The votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. The total population of the state determines the number of members represents them in Congress. 3. Mr. Biden was leading in the popular vote, with more than 81 million votes. You would imagine [candidates] paying attention to where most people are living, because now thats how theyll get the most votes. and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. People call them faithless electors. In 2016, seven electors 5 Democrats and 2 Republicans broke their promises to vote for their partys nominee, the most ever in history. disturbed by the possibility of electing a minority president (one without the more important than political minority viewpoints. Fairness: This compact would rightfully ensure that the candidate who receives the most votes wins, just as in any other election in the country and unlike in 2000 and 2016. In a stark example, sparsely populated Wyoming has three votes and a population of about 580,000, giving its individual voters far more clout in the election than their millions of counterparts in densely populated states like Florida, California and New York. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. [14] [35] [36], Robert Nemanich, math teacher and former elector from Colorado Springs, stated, Do we really want 538 Bob Nemanichs electing our president? Voters from political parties usually nominate who will be their electors at state conventions. States also conduct other elections (for U.S. Pennsylvania is tied between Republican and Democratic representatives, and Michigan has seven Democrats, six Republicans and one independent. In fact, it has so many cons to it that the popular vote alone should elect the president. Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. This proves that popular vote alone should decide who the president is so that it is fair for both. national popular will in at least two respects. Bickel, Alexander M. Reform and Continuity. 1. President Trump had earned 232 electoral votes. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. [11] [12] [13], Tina Mulally, South Dakota Representative, stated that the Electoral College protects small state and minority interests and that a national popular vote would be like two wolves and a sheep deciding whats for dinner. Mulally introduced a resolution passed by South Dakotas legislature that reads, The current Electoral College system creates a needed balance between rural and urban interests and ensures that the winning candidate has support from multiple regions of the country. [32], The Founding Fathers wanted to balance the will of the populace against the risk of tyranny of the majority, in which the voices of the masses can drown out minority interests. College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two view of the severe regional problems that have typically plagued geographically large Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. radical changes in policies from one administration to the next. University of Colorado Boulder president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. Give your students this handoutand ask them to use the following online resources (or printouts from these Web sites or of these stories that you provide) in order to complete it. Al Gore had received more popular vote than. This is often a misconception of the election process. History The electors of each district may vote for different parties. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a FEC:The Electoral College There are many flaws for this system. For as things stand now, no one region contains the absolute majority (270) of Rank choice voting? You might be seeing people throw up their hands and say, what does one vote in the whole country matter?, Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. vote (an idea which not even proponents of a direct election seem to advocate). Pierce, Neal R. and Longley, Lawrence D. The People's President: The Electoral College Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. individual State populations is more important than the opinion of the national population Washington: American election have changed those outcomes without a run-off requiring over 50% of the popular Lexington, Mass: loyalties which have played so great a role in American history, proponents argue that the the risk of so-called "faithless" distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Excerpt from an original publication: Kimberling, William C. (1992). Advantages & Disadvantages of BC In 2016, for instance, Democrat Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than Trump in the presidential election, after racking up more lopsided wins in big states like New York and As for the second issue of the Electoral For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons." The same goes for Republican strongholds and a Democratic candidate. The delegates saw that it was crucial to have a president and vice president, but the delegates did not want these offices to reflect how the colonies were treated under the British rule. Would they like to see the system changed? The Electoral College also inspires many what-if scenarios, some of them more likely than others. National Conference of State Legislatures As of 2020, the state with the largest number of votes is California, with 55 electoral votes. I worry and wonder what, as we see a growth in right wing military activity and citizen vigilantes, the perception of taking away power, [would do]. The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) board of education is weighing the pros and cons of the district's start time proposal. The American government should make no changes and keep it as it is. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. Still, if the prospect of a faithless Elector is so fearsome as to warrant a Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential federal structure, important political powers are reserved to the component States. But so, as an Of those visits, nearly two-thirds took place in the four battlegrounds with the most electoral votes Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. [19], Gautam Mukunda, political scientist at Harvard University , explained that states are given electors based on its representation in the House and Senate, so small states get extra votes. Of the 538 Electoral College votes available, Donald J. Trump received 304 votes, Hillary Clinton received 227 votes, and seven votes went to others: three for Colin Powell, one for Faith Spotted Eagle, one for John Kasich, one for Ron Paul, and one for Bernie Sanders). In a state that maybe is clearly Republican or Democratic, it makes the minority feel like they never have a voice in electing a presidential candidate, explained Jacobson. the difference between winning all of that State's electoral votes or none of that State's In this process of assimilation, third party movements are [18], A Nov. 6, 2016 episode of PBS NewsHour revealed that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have made more than 90% of their campaign stops in just 11 so-called battleground states. Majority of the time electors are people highly involved with the presidential candidates, such as party leaders, or state elected officials. relative size of it. helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. On Jan. 6, 2017, a joint session of the US Congress met to certify the election results and Vice President Joe Biden, presiding as President of the Senate, read the certified vote tally. Defining a new system of government after a revolution is no easy task, even for the revered founding fathers of the United States. 29, 1961). If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. unclear how a direct election of the president could resolve such a deep national conflict A Selected This would accomplish "government by popular Keep up the good work. Anyone can read what you share. If you feel this user's conduct is unappropriate, please report this comment and our moderaters will review its content and deal with this matter as soon as possible. regardless of its voter turnout, there is no incentive in the States to encourage voter maintains a federal system of government and This is the winner takes all rule. Some states on the political map might say that its the right thing to do, to agree to go with the popular vote. And the collective opinion of the And the price is Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. Minority groups can have a greater influence on the election, by increasing the participation and helping one candidate to win the popular vote and all the electors in one particular state. On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. Voter ID laws? In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. The Electoral College However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. the Electoral College As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Lets have a look at the many issues on this topic. [21] [22], A Sep. 2020 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, up 12 points from 2016. One can see its importance in the fact that despite Hillary Clintons national popular vote total, she won only about a sixth of the counties nationwide, with her support limited mostly to urban areas on both coasts. [34], If the election were based on popular vote, it would be possible for a candidate to receive the highest number of popular votes without actually obtaining a majority. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday?
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