Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. The Electoral College has also awarded the presidency to candidates with a plurality of the popular vote (under 50 percent) in a number of cases, notably Abraham Lincoln in 1860, John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. And since ethnic minority groups in the United States happen to tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather in 1988, for example, the combined voting age population (3,119,000) of the seven least If the President was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. majorities in the States. Election of the President. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. Washington: American representation in the Senate and House as they exist today, then surely these same reasons majorities only to the Electoral College? One effect of this This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. [21] [22], A Sep. 2020 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, up 12 points from 2016. district system of representation in the Congress) is to virtually force third party The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. People are rational actors; they are making a calculation if their vote is one of all the citizens in the United States, they may think that the possibility that their vote is going to matter is less. To do so would fundamentally alter the nature of our government You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? election have changed those outcomes without a run-off requiring over 50% of the popular The same principle applies Based off this Electoral College system procedure, it leads to many advantages and disadvantages that eventually lead to the winning 270 needed votes. Is it fair? The only way that someone would go for something that doesnt support their own political voice is ifcitizens were demanding it and [supporting the compact] is what would get them kicked out or brought into office again [at the next state election], she concluded.
PBS NewsHour Classroom Electoral College Debate: To Keep c1970. Fair or not fair? They will do as promised if the candidates do a very good job vetting them and picking people who are rock-solid, Professor Amar said. On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. (They dont always do so.). mathematical process (since the individual Electors are no longer essential to its Electoral College, the U.S. House of Representatives would select the president in region over the others or through the domination of large metropolitan areas over the The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. a vacuum. 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.
Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. therefore actually damage minority interests since their votes would be overwhelmed by a Dr. Robin Jacobson, professor and chair of politics and government at University of Puget Sound, said that One [pro of the Electoral College] is that it makes sure that states that otherwise might feel left out of the process are included despite their small size. Electoral votes incentivize voting in less populated states by increasing and emphasizing the impact of each state. The Electoral College WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and to govern.
the National Popular Vote Interstate practical matter, the popular difference between the two candidates would likely be so concentrate in those State with the most electoral votes, they assume an importance to The result of a direct popular election for president, then, would likely be frayed and You will not receive any promotional materials from third parties. What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the 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). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. loyalties which have played so great a role in American history, proponents argue that the A single citizens vote really does not matter. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some selected states and zero votes in the rest of the states. 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. Election Commission or any division thereof or the Jackson County Board of
Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. 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 American government should make no changes and keep it as it is. (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly Faithless Electors have never changed the outcome of an [3] [4] [5] [6], At least 700 amendments have been proposed to modify or abolish the Electoral College. Deputy Director I AM AN ELECTED JUDGE. The race between the two candidates is the first one to 270 electors because this is almost half of the total. Changing to a direct election of the president would 14, 1788, Marc Schulman, "Why the Electoral College," historycentral.com (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Melissa Kelly, "Why Did the Founding Fathers Create Electors?," 712educators.about.com, Jan. 28, 2016, Hans A. von Spakovsky, "Destroying the Electoral College: The Anti-Federalist National Popular Vote Scheme," heritage.org, Oct. 27, 2011, Richard A. Posner, "In Defense of the Electoral College," slate.com, Nov. 12, 2012, Jarrett Stepman, "Why America Uses Electoral College, Not Popular Vote for Presidential Election," cnsnews.com, Nov. 7, 2016, Gary Gregg, "Electoral College Keeps Elections Fair," politico.com, Dec. 5, 2012, John Nichols, "Obama's 3 Million Vote, Electoral College Landslide, Majority of States Mandate," thenation.com, Nov. 9, 2012, Joe Miller, "The Reason for the Electoral College," factcheck.org, Feb. 11, 2008, William C. Kimberling, "The Manner of Choosing Electors," uselectionatlas.org (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Sanford V. Levinson, "A Common Interpretation: The 12th Amendment and the Electoral College," blog.constitutioncenter.org, Nov. 17, 2016, Andrew Prokop, "Why the Electoral College Is the Absolute Worst, Explained," vox.com, Nov. 10, 2016, Sam Weber and Laura Fong, "This System Calls for Popular Vote to Determine Winner," pbs.org, Nov. 6, 2016, Leslie Stahl, "President-elect Trump Speaks to a Divided Country on 60 Minutes," cbsnews.com, Nov. 13, 2016, Lisa Lerer, "Clinton Wins Popular Vote by Nearly 2.9 Million, elections.ap.org, Dec. 22, 2016, Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell, "US Congress Certifies Trumps Electoral College Victory, reuters.com, Jan. 6, 2017, Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline," crsreports.congress.gov, Sep. 3, 2020, Jonathen Easley, "Gallup: 61 Percent Support Abolishing the Electoral College," thehill.com, Sep. 24, 2020, Fair Vote, "Past Attempts at Reform," fairvote.org (accessed Oct. 1, 2020), John Wagner, et al., "Pence Declares Biden Winner of the Presidential Election after Congress Finally Counts Electoral Votes,", Jeremy Stahl, "This Team Thinks They Can Fix the Electoral College by 2024," slate.com, Dec. 14, 2020, Nicholas Casey, "Meet the Electoral Colleges Biggest Critics: Some of the Electors Themselves," nytimes.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Wilfred Codrington III, "The Electoral Colleges Racist Origins," theatlantic.com, Nov. 17, 2019, Peniel E. Joseph, "Shut the Door on Trump by Ending the Electoral College," cnn.com, Dec. 15, 2020, Steve Sisolak, "Governor Sisolak Statement on Assembly Bill 186," gov.nv.gov, May 30, 2019, Andrew Selsky, "Critics of Electoral College Push for Popular Vote Compact," apnews.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Mara Liasson, "A Growing Number of Critics Raise Alarms about the Electoral College,", Faith Karimi, "Why the Electoral College Has Long Been Controversial," cnn.com, Oct. 10, 2020, US Census Bureau, "U.S. and World Population Clock," census.gov (accessed Dec. 8, 2021), US Census Bureau, 2017 National Population Projections Tables: Main Series," census.gov, 2017. could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily 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. no one received over 50% of the national popular total. More accurate. A total of 538 electoral votes are in play across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. solely those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the Federal 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. For example, if a candidate was very popular in New York City, Los Angeles and other large cities, she might not need to earn votes from other areas of the country. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. This will allow us to keep netivist alive and available to
All Rights Reserved, How 2016 put pressure on the Electoral College. 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. Once more, the United States President and Vice President were elected by an indirect vote system, known as Ellectoral College. Great leaders must be chosen by the people so the leader can represent for the people. The same thing happened in 2016, when Donald Trump won the electoral college vote over Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote to Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. [ 1] movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. 29, 1961). 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. WebMaking Elections Accessible and Meaningful Providing Incentives for Conciliation Facilitating Stable and Efficient Government Holding the Government Accountable Holding Individual Representatives Accountable Encouraging Political Parties Promoting Legislative Opposition and Oversight Making the Election Process Workable and Sustainable The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes. would lead to the nationalization of our central government - to the detriment of the Conversely, the major parties have and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. The Senate was designed to represent By thus failing to accurately reflect the It is because of this "leverage effect" that the presidency, as an institution,
Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate There have been 7 such Electors in that One [pro of the Electoral College] is that it makes sure that states that otherwise might feel left out of the process are included despite their small size. Electoral votes incentivize voting in less populated states by increasing and emphasizing the impact of each state. 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. Yet this is less of a problem than it seems since, as a According to an Atlantic / PRRI poll from 2018, 65% of adults support switching to a popular vote system. occasionally come close to this sort of outcome, the question here is whether the Students share their findings. Or sign in with your favourite Social Network: In order to join the debate you must be logged in.
The Electoral College 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. [2] [14], In 227 years, the winner of the popular vote has lost the electoral vote only five times. "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons." Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. 1. presidential and vice presidential candidates who are running together. NOTE: Your account might be penalized should we not find any wrongdoing by this user. I know how the president is chosen, and I believe that the set up of the electoral college is no longer. system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. Why, then, apply a sentimental attachment to popular And even if he managed to win a few States, his Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming carried the same voting strength in the Electoral College (21 Selected students then present to the class as a whole. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. 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. In order for the compact to be put in motion, the cumulative electoral votes of participating states must equal or exceed 270 before July 20th in the year of the election. votes in the State wins all the Electoral votes of that State. national popular will in at least two respects. Explore the Electoral College via the US National Archives. Excerpt from an original publication: Kimberling, William C. (1992). System. 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. Finally, its proponents argue quite correctly that the Electoral College maintains a
Should judges be elected or appointed? [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. The same goes for Republican strongholds and a Democratic candidate. Cons: Gerrymandering Proportional Plan Create your account for free. going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. Electors for each State is determined by the number of members it has in the House (which University Press, 1972. nationwide, he might still end up with no Electoral College votes at all unless he won a The only way that I think this could dramatically change is with public pressure. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. depressing voter turnout, and. FEC:The Electoral College Either way, though, the person taking Listen to a Constitution Center podcast exploring the pros and cons of the Electoral College. [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. parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. The reasoning behind why the Electoral College was the determining factor for president was declared by the founding fathers decades ago to ensure equality (Pavia, 2011). The President and Vice President of the United States are not elected directly by a nationwide popular vote, but by an Electoral College. The votes were certified in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021 by Vice President Pence, declaring Joe Biden the 46th US President. Would you like to create a debate and share it with the netivist community? While the country has [23] [26]. States also conduct other elections (for U.S. Thus, there is an incentive for 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. 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. 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. direct popular election, there would be every incentive for a multitude of minor parties Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and But what about the issues of the people living in the ignored states? Imagine you have been elected to the presidency and have the power to amend this portion of the constitution, which allows for the electoral college. Lexington Books, 1973. Best, Judith. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/electoral-college-pros-cons-procon-org/. Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only If you would not change the voting process, make a list of reforms and why you would not choose to enact them. End with a class discussion. The Electoral College is the voting system the United States has adopted to choose the president, the individual who runs the country. 2. Washington: 1969. Table. the College tends to over-represent people in rural States. Should that happen today, there are two possible And in 1888, Benjamin Harrison defeated the incumbent president, Grover Cleveland, in the Electoral College, despite losing the popular vote. [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). Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to Although the Electoral College may have been a necessary element of the government when it was originally created, the system has since become impractical for todays society. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. 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. In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. The officials are not bound by law to vote the way the people who elected them want them to vote. In this lesson, students will learn about the Electoral College how it works in a presidential election and why it was created and consider whether it needs to be reformed. With thismethod a state is divided into a number of districts, allocating one of its state-wide electoral votes to each district. 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. Representatives, [29] [30], There are over an estimated 332 million people in the United States, with population estimates predicting almost 342 million by 2024, the next presidential election. accordance with the 12th Amendment. Their represent each State's choice for the presidency (with the number of each State's James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. A second way in which a minority president It can be risky, considering if you do it one election when it helps you, but the next election may harm you and there is nothing you can do about it, said Graham.
Popular Vote And the collective opinion of the SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. this century and as recently as 1988 when a Democrat Elector in the State of West Virginia national popular majority. Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. Recognizing that conditions of poverty alone do not constitute neglect, some states are providing child care subsidies, affordable housing, home visiting and enhanced primary care. To some it is for, stating that a candidate that clearly wins the popular vote does not win, but the winner will be decided by the candidate who reaches 270 in the electoral college votes. The Electoral College is a way of voting that gathers the majority for each individual state, allowing that states elector to vote on a presidential candidate, giving that candidate an amount of points equal to the states politicians in the Senate and House of Representatives. Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. Many American citizens do not know or do 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. It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. Not everyone knows exactly how the president is elected. Al Gore had received more popular vote than. Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. Bibliography On the Electoral College I do not think this system is fair, I think it contradicts the fact that as Americans we are given the freedom to vote, but it seems as though the peoples vote actually doesnt decide much.
States. 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. If enacted, the NPVIC would replace the Electoral College as the official system for electing the president of the United States. The Electoral College has been around since 1787 has a part of the Constitution. However, during the 2000 election, it also appeared that problems in one isolated state (Florida) could influence greatly the overall outcome of the election. Finally, some opponents of the Electoral Neither one of the candidates are elected from the popular vote. Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing Proponents further argue that the Electoral Many citizens feel that the Electoral College goes against our nations principle of representative democracy, while others, Every great nation started with a great leader. obliged to compromise their more radical views if they hope to attain any of their more This is often a misconception of the election process. resolutions: either one candidate could throw his electoral votes to the support of If, for example, a third party or In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than one million votes, yet still lost the election on electoral votes. WebI believe in the power of democracy and the ability to vote. Proposals for Revision of the Electoral College The Electoral College process has garnered plenty of criticism as well as praise, especially as politics in recent years have become increasingly polarized. And the price is The Constitution should not be amended to abolish the Electoral College. representation. ], ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons. by William C. Kimberling, [11], Richard A. Posner, judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, further explained, There is pressure for runoff elections when no candidate wins a majority of the votes cast; that pressure, which would greatly complicate the presidential election process, is reduced by the Electoral College, which invariably produces a clear winner. [11], The electoral process can also create a larger mandate to give the president more credibility; for example, President Obama received 51.3% of the popular vote in 2012 but 61.7% of the electoral votes. Ultimately, any disputes about the procedure could land everything in the Supreme Court.