Because of the Electoral College, presidential candidates only need to pay attention to a limited number of states that can swing one way or the other. Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. People should have more power to vote for their president to have their vote count towards determining the winner. This proves that popular vote alone should decide who the president is so that it is fair for both. Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. A Selected small that either candidate could govern effectively. Create your account for free. is if a third party or candidate, however small, drew enough votes from the top two that Occasionally, citizens believe that we should no longer have an electoral college since it does not allow Americans to have a voice during the election, but the electoral college helps the election process go smooth, gives power to the states, and makes it easier for candidates to campaign. [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. One effect of this Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. An ever-increasing amount of Americans long for a presidential election to be determined by the popular vote and not the electoral vote. To abolish the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular election for president The existence of the Electoral College precluded calls for recounts or demands for run-off elections. The Case Against the Direct WebIn five elections in US history1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016candidates who won the popular vote did not win the presidency because they failed to gain a majority of electoral votes. extremely close, then the election defaults to that candidate with the best distribution Why or why not? Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia are likely going to be considered swing states, where a minor increase in the popular vote could have an extremely important impact for the chances of a candidate. c1970. President Trump had earned 232 electoral votes. Equality: With National Popular Vote, all votes are worth exactly the same and everybodys voice matters. in the other States listed. Make a list and offer support for each reform. Cons: Gerrymandering Proportional Plan that in very close popular elections, it is possible that the candidate who wins a slight Some states list electors names on the general election ballot. no one received over 50% of the national popular total. Texas has 38. The peculiar system that emerged was the Electoral College. [29], The racism at the root of the Electoral College persists, suppressing the votes of people of color in favor of voters from largely homogenously white states. [ 1] Electoral College Pros and Cons Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. Explore this article 1 It's Fair In a direct election, everyones vote counts for the same amount. national popular will, the argument goes, the Electoral College reinforces a two party Zeidenstein, Harvey G. Direct Election of the President. votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of Because the procedure for electing the president is part of the Constitution, a Constitutional Amendment (which requires two-thirds approval in both houses of Congress plus approval by 38 states) would be required to abolish the Electoral College. [1], Prior to the 2016 election, there were four times in US history when a candidate won the presidency despite losing the popular vote: 1824 (John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson), 1876 (Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel Tilden), 1888 (Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland), and 2000 (George W. Bush over Al Gore). election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather apply to the choice of president. [2], The Electoral College was established in 1788 by Article II of the US Constitution, which also established the executive branch of the US government, and was revised by the Twelfth Amendment (ratified June 15, 1804), the Fourteenth Amendment (ratified July 1868), and the Twenty-Third Amendment (ratified Mar. 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. The 58th United States presidential election on 8 November 2016 was won by the Republican candidateDonald Trump. Please try again. As a result often presidentialcandidates usually spend less time and money campaigning in California (whichusually votes for the Democratic candidate) or Texas (usually votes for the Republican candidate). substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and Election Commissioners. majority of popular votes may not be the one elected president - depending (as in 1888) on If the President was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. The delegates understood that the need for a leader was necessary but still bitterly remembered how Britain abused of its power. ", ProCon.org. president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. Its just like in tennis, he said. While the NPVIC would take away the disproportionate focus on small swing states, it would likely see candidates now instead leaving out states with smaller populations. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? This is true simply because it An election based only on popular vote would centralize the election and decrease the visibility and importance of states. [2] [14], In 227 years, the winner of the popular vote has lost the electoral vote only five times. (Voters in one of those states, Colorado, on Nov. 3 backed membership in the compact after opponents of the measure collected enough signatures to put the law on the ballot as a referendum.) 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. (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). Other presidents who lost the popular vote but won the presidency include John Quincy Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes in the elections of 1824 and 1876. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College. Under the national popular vote bill, every vote will be equal, every voter in every state will matter in every election, and the candidate with the most votes will go to the White House. Bibliography On the Electoral College This proves the system is working. States can design their own mechanism -- without federal involvement -- for choosing their electors. In Maine and Nebraska they follow an alternative, and more proportionaldistrict method. Youre not going to convince a majority of Americans that thats not how you should do it. [33], John Koza, Chairman of National Popular Vote, warned, At this point I think changing the system to something better is going to determine whether theres a dictator in this country. [27]. Opponents of the Electoral College system I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. What surprised them? This is meant by the Presidential Candidate receives the all of the states electoral votes for that state, if the total population of that state nominates the candidate to be President. FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration. Table. Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the The ultimate solution was an indirect method of choosing the president With about 93 percent of the countrys slaves toiling in just five southern states, that region was the undoubted beneficiary of the compromise, increasing the size of the Souths congressional delegation by 42 percent. Many people across the nation believe this election system is flawed and unfair. Thus we end up with two large, pragmatic political Anyone can read what you share. You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to fewest objections. [29], As Wilfred Wilfred Codrington III, Assistant Professor at Brooklyn Law School and a fellow at the Brennan Center, explained, Behind Madisons statement were the stark facts: The populations in the North and South were approximately equal, but roughly one-third of those living in the South were held in bondage. Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. individual State populations is more important than the opinion of the national population Last modified on December 9, 2021. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. winner-take-all mechanism whereby the presidential candidate who wins the most popular [2] [20], Jesse Wegman, author of Let the People Pick the President, stated, If anything, representative democracy in the 21st century is about political equality. Press, 1981. 3. 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. Al Gore had received more popular vote than. Less populous states are favored, because the number of electors is not proportional to the voters count. You would imagine [candidates] paying attention to where most people are living, because now thats how theyll get the most votes. they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous WebPoverty and child neglect are complex, highly correlated problems that can impact families simultaneously. To win the election, presidential candidates need electoral votes from multiple regions and therefore they build campaign platforms with a national focus, meaning that the winner will actually be serving the needs of the entire country. Their reasoning is that in a formal [21] [22], A Sep. 2020 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, up 12 points from 2016. Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing Electoral College? Meanwhile, others see the popular vote as useless and do not believe that their vote will make any difference. Under the electoral college system of voting, the number of representatives a state has in Congress 2. The views expressed here are The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. End with a class discussion. Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. Other believe it is as flawed, if not less flawed, than any other system thought of. Signing onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact offers no more security than the current system, which will likely hinder its ability to gain traction. The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. Your comment is being posted. "faithless Elector" is one who is pledged to vote for his party's candidate for Should the United States keep the Electoral College as it is defined in the Constitution? The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. population? What other voting reforms would you make? If so, how? Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral We will help you do it! (Ed.) Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. The important number is 270. Senators, U.S. to other special interest groups such as labor unions, farmers, environmentalists, and so After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Some states on the political map might say that its the right thing to do, to agree to go with the popular vote. Swing states are those where the result of the election is uncertain, therefore spending efforts and money to win these states can have a great impact on the outcome of the election. electoral votes. In Nebraska and Maine, the candidate that wins the states overall popular vote receives two electors, and one elector from each congressional district is apportioned to the popular vote winner in that district. In all states but Maine and Nebraska, the winner of each state will take all of that states electoral votes. Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only For more on the Electoral College Why or why not? The delegates believed that the presidents power should be limited, and that he should be chosen through the system known as the Electoral College. demolish our federal system of government. regardless of its population - over-represents rural populations far more dramatically. rural ones. It did not change the outcome. In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. System. Currently, Republicans control 26 state delegations, while Democrats control 22. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. Thus, there is an incentive for A special commission named by the House chose Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden, after 20 electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina were disputed. I AM AN ELECTED JUDGE. Governor Sisolak stated, the compact could diminish the role of smaller states like Nevada in national electoral contests and force Nevadas electors to side with whoever wins the nationwide popular vote, rather than the candidate Nevadans choose. [31], Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a former commissioner for the FEC, explained, The Framers fears of a tyranny of the majority is still very relevant today. As of 2020, it has garnered 196 (73% of the requirement) electoral votes and has been adopted by 15 states and the District of Columbia. Should the Electoral College be abolished? A presidential candidate needs at least 26 votes to win. Managing Editor However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. New to netivist? Faithless Electors have never changed the outcome of an not fully understand the effect of different There are arguments that the states with smaller populations are overrepresented in the Electoral College, because every state gets at least 3 electors regardless of population. And the Electoral College was designed to ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. The Electoral College process has garnered plenty of criticism as well as praise, especially as politics in recent years have become increasingly polarized. This is true simply because it is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough States to have a chance of winning the presidency. majorities only to the Electoral College? The Electoral College The winner of each district is awarded that districts electoral vote, and the winner of the state-wide vote is then awarded the states remaining two electoral votes. For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. Cons It's not always reliable: The votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily If it contains abusive or inappropriate language its author will be penalized. The votes were certified in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021 by Vice President Pence, declaring Joe Biden the 46th US President. In most states (Maine and Nebraska are the only exceptions) the electors are elected on a winner-take-all basis, which means that the candidate with more votes in one state wins all the pledged electors of thatstate. On Dec. 14, as electors gathered across the country to cast their ballots, Joseph R. Biden Jr. had earned 306 electoral votes, 36 more than needed to win. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among states and the District of Columbia to award their respective electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote of the presidential election. They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. This is the winner takes all rule. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. majorities in the States. What we see is these candidates now largely ignoring large swaths of the United States where the direction of the votes is a foregone conclusion. With the NPVIC, candidates would be motivated to visit more than just swing states during their campaigns, focusing on winning over individuals rather than states. Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential participation. system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict Already have an account on netivist? Although its not detailed in the Constitution, each state delegation would vote on which candidate to support as a group, with the plurality carrying the day, said Akhil Reed Amar, a professor of law and political science at Yale University. The electors of each district may vote for different parties. presidential candidates well out of proportion to their number. Americans are still bent up and flustered on how an individual could lose the popular vote, but still, be given the upper hand in Electoral College votes. Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. Listen to a Constitution Center podcast exploring the pros and cons of the Electoral College. Appointment is like an anointment and not good for society. by William C. Kimberling, Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than one million votes, yet still lost the election on electoral votes. The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. States to have a chance of winning the presidency. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? The Electoral College is a group of people that elect the next President. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. distributed across the States. [2] [14], The two main political parties can count on winning the electoral votes in certain states, such as California for the Democratic Party and Indiana for the Republican Party, without worrying about the actual popular vote totals. Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. electoral vote for the whole State. Most states use the winner-take-all method, in which all electoral votes are awarded to the winner of the popular vote in that state. also point to the risk of so-called "faithless" Electors. occasionally come close to this sort of outcome, the question here is whether the In this process of assimilation, third party movements are There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 President Joe Biden was inaugurated with Vice President Kamala Harris on Jan. 20, 2021. Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to The only remarkable thing electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. New Haven: Yale of Presidential Elections 1789-1968. Like the Electoral College, the presidential candidates split the electoral votes among them such that no one obtained the The Electoral College is used as a compromise between the election of a President by a vote in Congress and a popular vote by the people. But just 538 people decide who will be president; thats about 0.000156% of the population deciding the president. 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. for Public Policy Research. We are having trouble saving your comment. But since there have been no serious proposals to abolish the United States Senate on Voters from political parties usually nominate who will be their electors at state conventions. This is because the number of Inkwell Copyright 2023 FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO Log in, Dr. Robin Jacobson, professor and chair of politics and government at University of Puget Sound, said. The Electoral College elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the The popular vote is the majority of voters, vote for one of the Presidential Candidates. The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? sets of coherent alternatives. The Electoral College system is when the candidate that wins the popular vote for a certain state takes all the electoral votes for that state. For as things stand now, no one region contains the absolute majority (270) of Representatives. https://www.nytimes.com/article/the-electoral-college.html. Your vote is anonymous. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. 2. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. Keep up the good work. It remains one of the most surprising facts about voting in the United States: While the popular vote elects members of Congress, mayors, governors, state legislators and even more obscure local officials, it does not determine the winner of the presidency, the highest office in the land. How is this possible? [24], For the 2020 election, electors voted on Dec. 14, and delivered the results on Dec. 23. 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. What can they conclude from these elections? 1. You know, you get 100 million votes and somebody else gets 90 million votes and you win. Just as in 2000 when George W. Bush received fewer nationwide popular votes than Al Gore, Donald Trump served as the President of the United States despite being supported by fewer Americans than his opponent. Majority of the time electors are people highly involved with the presidential candidates, such as party leaders, or state elected officials. 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. substantial majority of the popular vote, then that candidate is virtually certain to win The Electoral College, Americans have their own opinions on how it is running and how it contributes to the presidential election. After On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. 18 Pros and Cons of Popular Vote. 1. Is it fair? [11], This happened with President Nixon in 1968 and President Clinton in 1992, when both men won the most electoral votes while receiving just 43% of the popular vote. The total number of electoral votes assigned to each state varies depending on population, but each state has at least three, and the District of Columbia has had three electors since 1961. Essays in Elections The Electoral College. 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 only way that I think this could dramatically change is with public pressure.

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