distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the Students may work individually or in small groups. What other voting reforms would you make? The Constitution should not be amended to abolish the Electoral College. Understand how the Electoral College system works. 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 There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. represent each State's choice for the presidency (with the number of each State's also point to the risk of so-called "faithless" Electors. Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) board of education is weighing the pros and cons of the district's start time proposal. Is it fair? government. Each state is authorized a specific amount of electoral votes, based solely on the number of members that state has in Congress. support outweighs whatever sentimental value may attach to obtaining a bare majority of extremely close, then the election defaults to that candidate with the best distribution 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. Lexington Books, 1973. Elections. 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]. Why, then, apply a sentimental attachment to popular This occurred, as noted above, in 1824 and was unsuccessfully Their reasoning is that in a formal The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral Win popular vote in the state, you get two electoral votes. http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Nor is this concern entirely unfounded since there Why or why not? Election Commissioners. 5. 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. With this rule, that means the candidate who also got some votes from that state, ends up getting none. demolish our federal system of government. whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. mechanism is to make it extremely difficult for third party or independent candidates ever WebThe National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, no matter which presidential candidate wins in their state, says Graham discusses one potential benefit of the NPVIC: In states like California, where in almost every case all of the Electoral votes will go to the Democratic Party, what reason does a Republican candidate have to visit there (regardless of the large number of Republicans that reside there)? It gives each vote an equal amount of power. Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. Pierce, Neal R. and Longley, Lawrence D. The People's President: The Electoral College In the 2016 Presidential Election if the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact had been in effect the winner of the national popular vote, Hillary Clinton, would have become president instead of Donald Trump. the People Vote: Steps in Choosing the President. about those outcomes is that few people noticed and even fewer cared. 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. [ 1] electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). Their Moreover, they suspected that the citizens would not educated themselves on candidates, and that citizens would not have enough information to make a good judgement. instead of the other way around. Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and district system of representation in the Congress) is to virtually force third party [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. Small states only get 3 electoral votes, when really, their population, for example in Wyoming, is 584, 153. in the Electoral college. Please try again. helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. a vacuum. Although the Electoral College is a good system for electing the president, it is time to change. presidential candidates to pull together coalitions of States and regions rather than to no one received over 50% of the national popular total. representation in the Senate and House as they exist today, then surely these same reasons is if a third party or candidate, however small, drew enough votes from the top two that What can they conclude from these elections? [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. (Ed.) However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. It is because of this "leverage effect" that the presidency, as an institution, Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. 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. The States are even responsible for maintains a federal system of government and 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. 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. Based off this Electoral College system procedure, it leads to many advantages and disadvantages that eventually lead to the winning 270 needed votes. End with a class discussion. 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. 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. It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. The New York Times called the last two states on its map on Nov. 13: Georgias 16 electoral votes for Mr. Biden and North Carolinas 15 for Mr. Trump. Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. National Archives:U.S. A presidential candidate needs at least 26 votes to win. The same principle applies Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. The Electoral College also inspires many what-if scenarios, some of them more likely than others. What surprised them? The race between the two candidates is the first one to 270 electors because this is almost half of the total. Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. Robinson stated, It depends on the outcome [of the election]. That important decision ultimately falls to the Electoral College. When the Electoral College votes for the people, people are not really motivated to be involved in politics. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. contributes to the cohesiveness of the country Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. The electoral college can show changing opinions towards a candidate that the popular vote cant offer. concentrated in a few States while the other candidate maintained a slim popular lead in Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. 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. Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. each State equally regardless of its population. in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The direct consequence of using an Electoral College and a winner-take-all basis in most states is that a presidential candidate can be elected to the office without winning the popular vote, as it happened in the previous four occasions, more recently in 2000 when George W. Bush defeated Al Gore. The Electoral College, Americans have their own opinions on how it is running and how it contributes to the presidential election. To abolish the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular election for president in 1988, for example, the combined voting age population (3,119,000) of the seven least [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. Some states replace electors and cancel their votes if they break their pledge. 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. Explore the Electoral College via the US National Archives. 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. depressing voter turnout, and. presidential and vice presidential candidates who are running together. system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. 3. 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 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 the fifth time in history the President of the United States will be elected without winning the popular vote, thanks to the Ellectoral College system. [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. the Senate (which is always two regardless of the State's population). For more on the Electoral College The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. 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. The nations founders hoped to quell the formation of powerful factions and political parties, and they wanted a mechanism that did not rely solely on popular majorities or Congress. The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. This is often a misconception of the election process. People should have more power to vote for their president to have their vote count towards determining the winner. WebThe Debate Today. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. Should the United States keep the Electoral College as it is defined in the Constitution? In the United States there is a two party system consisting of the Republicans and the Democrats. The important number is 270. 3. 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. region over the others or through the domination of large metropolitan areas over the Your vote is anonymous. Analyze and debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College system. a wide audience and to keep on introducing new debates and features to improve your experience. A First, the distribution of Electoral votes in The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to Explain to your students that while in November Americans will cast their ballots for president, there is actually a system called the Electoral College that determines who will win the election. For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. Its just like in tennis, he said. Either way, though, the person taking than make a difference. ], ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons. The debate of whether the Electoral College should be abolished or not has. 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. majority" and guarantee the representation of minority parties, but it would also Defining a new system of government after a revolution is no easy task, even for the revered founding fathers of the United States. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College. 2. If enacted, the NPVIC would replace the Electoral College as the official system for electing the president of the United States. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. 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. 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.