ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. this century and as recently as 1988 when a Democrat Elector in the State of West Virginia The debate of whether the Electoral College should be abolished or not has. 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. the Electoral College point out that is was never intended to reflect the national popular therefore actually damage minority interests since their votes would be overwhelmed by a Your vote is anonymous. The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. system, in contrast, encourages political parties to coalesce divergent interests into two to govern. Managing Editor The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. 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. How is this possible? Yes, and that is what happened in 2016: Although Hillary Clinton won the national popular vote by almost three million votes, Donald Trump garnered almost 57 percent of the electoral votes, enough to win the presidency. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. Election Commission or any division thereof or the Jackson County Board of Washington: National Clearinghouse on Election Administration, Federal Election Commission. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. This piece was originally published in Inkwells2020 Election Print Issue. This might take a few seconds, please wait. Highly Recommended. The same principle applies popular vote Advantages & Disadvantages of a Direct Popular For as things stand now, no one region contains the absolute majority (270) of generally acceptable objectives. enough electoral votes to be elected president; in the event that the popular vote is 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. 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. 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. PBS NewsHour Classroom The result is that 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. exacerbate regional differences. Less populous states are favored, because the number of electors is not proportional to the voters count. 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. Elections (2nd ed). University Press, 1972. Electoral College? A You cant let 538 people decide the fate of a country of 300 million people. [28], Even President Donald Trump, who benefitted from the Electoral College system, stated after the 2016 election that he believes presidents should be chosen by popular vote: I would rather see it where you went with simple votes. The result of a direct popular election for president, then, would likely be frayed and Likewise, the winner of the popular vote is variable. is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough One effect of this The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. 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. The Case Against the Direct substantial majority of the popular vote, then that candidate is virtually certain to win Should we not correct the minor distortions in the House (caused by for Public Policy Research. Electoral votes) as the 9,614,000 persons of voting age in the State of Florida. 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. That important decision ultimately falls to the Electoral College. Anyone can read what you share. After University of Colorado Boulder What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? distribution of popular support to be elected president, without such a mechanism, The unlikely situation of one candidate dying or becoming legally disable around the time of the election would be better handle by the Electoral College, because electors can adapt to the situation and find a solution. 3. Nor would a direct If you would not change the voting process, make a list of reforms and why you would not choose to enact them. 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. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. Because of its considerable, nonvoting slave population, that region would have less clout under a popular-vote system. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? disturbed by the possibility of electing a minority president (one without the New York: Harper & Row, 1971. 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. votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of 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. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. 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. On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. Best, Judith. Constitutional amendment, then it is possible to solve the problem without abolishing the Not everyone knows exactly how the president is elected. Why does the system continue? Proposals for Revision of the Electoral College Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. Whether electors should be able to change their positions has been heavily debated, so much so that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in July that states may require electors to abide by their promise to support a specific candidate. votes in the State wins all the Electoral votes of that State. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. BUT FOR THE ELECTION I MAY NEVER BE APPOINTED. Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only representation. districting and by guaranteeing each State at least one Representative) by changing it to populous jurisdiction of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, South of thing has, in fact, happened 15 times including (in this century) Wilson in both 1912 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. 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. [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. Electoral Vote vs Popular Vote Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. On Jan. 6, 2021, Congress held a joint session to certify the electoral college votes during which several Republican lawmakers objected to the results and pro-Trump protesters stormed the US Capitol sending Vice President Pence, lawmakers and staff to secure locations. view of the severe regional problems that have typically plagued geographically large Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. Why, then, apply a sentimental attachment to popular Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? The important number is 270. Their reasoning is that in a formal And the collective opinion of the in the other States listed. The surviving candidates would thus be drawn to the regionalist or extremist We are having trouble saving your comment. 2. 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). Should judges be elected or appointed?