Having a state-based system for electing both houses of Congress should be adequate to that task. The three-fifths clause became irrelevant with the end of slavery (thankfully! Because the Electoral College is based on the structure of state populations and representation in the House, some people have a vote that carries more weight per delegate than others. Three happened in the 19th century; none in the 20th century and two in the 21st century. The chances of a recount would increase dramatically with election. 3. This system allows minorities to have a bigger microphone for their concerns as well. If such an amendment were to pass Congress, defeat in the states is likely. The only difference is that in this unique structure, the voice of the minority can actually shout down the desires of the majority. Do they outweigh the arguments that Mr. Wegman presents? As Americans look at their election processes, a complete review of the pros and cons of abolishing the Electoral College is useful when taking this unique structure into account. A presidential candidate who doesnt receive a majority of the votes can still win the Electoral College to get into the White House. There have also been five elections where the eventual president didnt win a majority of the vote, including Trump in 2016. As a result, Republicans and Republican state governments are incentivized to maintain the current system. Theyre swing states. 6. The electors can vote their conscience as well, refusing to follow what their state elections guide them to do. But experts say reforming this practice isn't likely anytime soon for a number of reasons. And this year, who knows? Polls from FiveThirtyEight polls-only forecast have predicted Clinton receiving a majority popular vote of 49.7 percent, with Trump behind at 43.3 percent. I used to like the idea of the Popular Vote, but now realize the Electoral College is far better for the U.S.A. Gregg says that change would radicalize politics. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. But heres the important part. In fact, there is already a movement brewing among states to agree to award their electors to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote. Warren Focuses On Policy, Which Looks Like A Tough Sell With Voters, Which Democrats Are Running In 2020 And Which Still Might. This ensures that smaller rural and industrial communities will have their issues addressed by those seeking office. This action would allow the popular vote winner to take the White House. "How would that work?" The compact requires states to pass laws that would award their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote nationally. Seventy percent of Americans between the ages of 18-29 said that the president should be chosen through a popular vote model, while just 56 percent of those over the age of 65 agreed. Suddenly, every voter will count, no matter where they live. Changing or eliminating the Electoral College can be accomplished only by an amendment to the Constitution, which requires the. That is, the compact does not go into effect until there is a critical mass of states for it to be effective. Most Americans would breathe a sigh of relief, I believe, if we had a system capable of choosing the U.S. equivalent of Theresa May instead of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Amending the Electoral College: The 12th Amendment The Electoral College Will Destroy America, The Battleground States Biden and Trump Need to Win 270, free daily writing prompts for remote learning. It's time to abolish the Electoral College - Brookings After reading the article and watching the video, what questions do you have for Mr. Wegman? Think about it. But its worth taking a closer look at arguments in favor of keeping the status quo. Jacob Levy, of McGill University, disagreed with that argument. There are three basic arguments in favor of the system the framers of the Constitution gave us, with little sense of how it would actually work. Hamilton believed that it would prevent the Office of the President from falling into the lot of a person who was not endowed with the requisite qualifications to serve the American people. Adding even more candidates into this discussion without the protections of this structure could create circumstances where someone with less than 35% of the vote could potentially win a four-year term. And this was an effort that was supported by the AFL-CIO, the Chamber of Commerce, the American Bar Association, and progressive and liberal groups outside. In the first instance, states could decide to award 2 Electoral College votes (EVs) to the winner of the national popular vote (NPV) and the remainder to the winner of the state. Americas auto industry auto industry auto industry At least in part because its located mostly in swing states, like Michigan and Ohio, states whose electoral votes he needed to win. It also prevents candidates from going into states where the electorate typically votes for the other party. But the real interests of small-state voters are never determined by the relative size of the population of their states. Without the Electoral College, big states like California and New York would dominate elections. In this case, 19 state legislatures are currently controlled solely by Democrats. Thats because, regardless of its overall merits, change is always rooted in the politics of the day. Third, defenders of the Electoral College also claim that it supports the underlying value of federalism. Researchby the National Association of Secretaries of State shows that 29 states and the District of Columbia require presidential electors, chosen through political party processes in each state, to cast their vote for the candidate they were selected by popular vote in that state to represent. 3) The Electoral . Is the way Americans choose the president undemocratic and unfair? The crisis of 1824 then, represented really the collapse of the old system, and an effort to re-institute it in other terms. Getting Rid Of The Electoral College Isn't Easy - Bustle Alternative 1: Two electoral votes to national popular vote winner; state winner-take-all for the remainder, *Each of these races included faithless electors, such that the total of electoral votes, as shown, does not equal 538. Without the Electoral College in place, presidential candidates would build platforms that would speak to their base. Instead, theyre voting for their states representatives in the Electoral College, who will then vote for the president. Having the states play an autonomous role in presidential elections, it is said, reinforces the division of governing authority between the nation and the states. For almost the first half century of the republic, presidential candidates were chosen by the caucuses of the two parties in the House and the Senate. You may have heard this one in high school. But reforming the Electoral College does not rank high among our national problems. During the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump had 90% of their campaign stops in only 11 states. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public. 14 Pros and Cons of Abolishing the Electoral College As discussed above, the only practical way of ending the Electoral College is by changing the ways in which states use the popular vote to award electors to the presidential candidates. Sticking to the electoral college format allows us to use electors as intended instead of relying on all of the votes counting. As far as the 2016 election is concerned, Hillary Clinton would still be the likely winner if the Electoral College didn't exist. What would happen if the Electoral College was eliminated? In his recent Op-Ed The Electoral College Will Destroy America, Mr. Wegman provides further evidence to support his claim that the Electoral College is unfair: The Electoral College as it functions today is the most glaring reminder of many that our democracy is not fair, not equal and not representative. In each case, the number of faithless electors who exercised that behavior would not have had a meaningful impact on the outcome. Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., at an organizing event in February. "Every vote matters," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in Mississippi on Monday. .just the large States - the Cities would end up running the Country. It's just not clear how you could do that.". It causes some votes to have greater weight than others. Paul Krugman, my Opinion colleague, wrote Thursday that "the idea that the economy is going to pose a huge problem for Democrats next year isn't backed by the available data.". What would happen if the Electoral College was abolished? That might invite legal challenges from candidates or voters' groups if it took place. . Abolishing The Electoral College Would Be More Complicated Than - NPR The Constitution is silent on whether states or the electors themselves ultimately can decide which candidate gets the electors vote, and the U.S. Supreme Court has not addressed that issue in the handful of cases it has considered related to the Electoral College. The 2010 census is therefore valid for the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Presidential elections. The outcome has prompted some to question whether the Electoral College the body of officials that formally elects the nation's president every four yearsis good for democracy, and even compelled outgoing California Sen. Barbara Boxer to file legislation to abolish the 229-year-old system. But the reality is, right now neither the small states nor the big ones have the voice they should. In May, the Washington State Supreme Courtuphelda state election law that said an elector who did not vote for the candidate he pledged to support could be fined up to $1,000 in civil penalties. It should be noted, there is debate about the permissibility of such a proposal and its going into effect would likely face a flurry of lawsuits. Why? Britannicas ProCon.org lists three reasons: 1) The founding fathers thought the Electoral College was the best method for electing the president.2) The Electoral College ensures that different parts of the country, such as Iowa and Ohio, are involved in selecting the president, rather than just the most populated areas.3) The Electoral College guarantees certainty, whereas a popular vote system might lead to no candidate getting a majority. The current structure limits Americans from pushing in this direction even though candidates tend to visit swing states more often. 1. Anyone can read what you share. The effect is to erase all the voters in that state who didnt vote for the top candidate. In the current Congress, this would require every Democratic House member to vote in favor of such an amendment and be joined by 59 Republicans and every Democratic Senator to be joined by 19 of their Republican colleagues. The primary benefit of the electoral college is that it works to protect the best interests of the minority in every election. LIASSON: It would take a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College, so that's not going to happen. Its primary function is to malapportion political power, and it does so indeed, has always done so with strikingly awful. The Electoral College is outlined in Article II, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution. For instance, if a hotly contested state like Wisconsin broke for the candidate who lost the popular vote, eight of its ten electoral votes would be added to their tally. Article II, section 1 of the Constitution establishes the Electoral College. I think it would make more sense to split the electoral votes based on the state-wide vote so if a state has 10 electoral votes and the election goes 60% to 40%, the candidates gets 6 votes and 4 votes respectively. And while Electoral College winning/popular vote losing presidents are formally and technically legitimate holders of the office, the perception that a broken system is anti-democratic and anti-majoritarian can have wide-reaching, penetrating, long-term consequences for the health of a democracy. What happens if a candidate with electoral votes dies or becomes "The game will not be any longer to be a [politician who is] liberal but be able to appeal to a rural Ohioan," he said. Sometimes one party does better for a few election cycles. And the reasons people think we need to keep the Electoral College the way it is, theyre all wrong. Having the person who loses the popular vote win the presidency will seriously undermine the legitimacy of our elections. There would need to be a Constitutional amendment if the compact idea doesnt work. Having this structure go away would encourage more third-party development. Does this interactive influence how you feel about the Electoral College? The two-party system solves the fractured vote problem more effectively than the Electoral College ever did, and the electors never exercised genuine independence. The framers of the Constitution set up the Electoral College for a number of different reasons. There are over 300 million people currently residing in the United States, but only 538 people actually get to choose who gets to be the president. That could have happened even though Biden won the popular vote by 7,060,087 (and counting)a margin even larger than the margins won by George W Bush in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2012. Only two Republicans voted for someone other than Trump and Pence. Do you think that more states or all states should join the compact? Trump made a similar argument earlier this week, warning that "smaller states & then entire Midwest would end up losing all power.". We have an Electoral College because thats what the founders added to the Constitution at the last minute. Hillary Clinton won. Redirecting to https://m.startribune.com/one-clear-result-of-the-2020-election-at-last-let-s-abolish-the-electoral-college/. Electoral vote totals will equal 538. NPV would reshape our political landscape by concentrating power in our largest states and cities. Next week five hundred and thirty-eight American citizens will travel to their state capitals and elect the president of the United States. A Constitutional Amendment to Abolish the Electoral College Our votes would count the same wherever they were cast. For example, in 1967, 58 percent favored its abolition, while in 1981, 75 percent of . Warren says she wants to get rid of the Electoral College, and vote for president using a national popular vote. Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. If you live in a state where youre in the political minority, your vote is effectively erased. Does It Need to Be Fixed? The winner-take-all method is nowhere in the Constitution. And finally, Myth 3: The Electoral College protects small states. /content/aba-cms-dotorg/en/news/abanews/publications/youraba/2019/october-2019/q--the-electoral-college--is-it-open-for-interpretation-by-the-c, Trade, Sports & Professional Associations, Affordable Housing & Community Development Law. 5. The pros and cons of abolishing the Electoral College must go beyond the 65% of people who want it gone. It would only come into effect when it could guarantee that outcome. As far as the 2016 election is concerned, Hillary Clinton would still be the likely winner if the Electoral College didn't exist. There is a trigger for NPV to go into effect, and we are creeping ever closer toward it.10 When enough states have entered the compact to reach a majority of the electoral votes270 out of 538the compact will then kick in. When a state passes legislation to join the National Popular Vote Compact, it compels the state to award its electoral votes to whomever wins the national popular vote, regardless of which candidate won in that state. He makes the case that both Republicans and Democrats should support a change. First, there's the Constitutional problem. Democracy is, at its core, about fair, equal representation one person, one vote. ** Adjusted Maine to act as one state rather than separate EV districts. Popular vote is a direct vote. By 2019, the median state was Kentucky with 4,467,673 which made it 11% of the population of California, the biggest state in the union with 39,512,223 people. Enslaved people couldnt vote, but they were still counted toward the slave states representation in Congress. Because the Electoral College is based on the structure of state populations and representation in the House, some people have a vote that carries more weight per delegate than others. But get this, the way the Electoral College actually functions today isnt even enshrined in the Constitution. Article V sets up the manner by which an amendment is passed. Beto O'Rourke Announces His Run For President In 2020, Moderate Democrats Under Pressure As Party's Left Grabs Attention. Having the states play an autonomous role in presidential elections, it is said, reinforces the division of governing authority between the nation and the states. It is extremely difficult to amend the Constitution. Its no wonder the candidates fixate on issues that matter to specific groups of voters in swing states, like fracking in Pennsylvania This is my 13th visit. or prescription drug benefits in Florida. The Electoral College has elected a president who did not win the popular vote twice in the past 20 years, in 2000 and 2016. That means the information receives an update every 10 years. In winner-take-all states, all electoral votes cast for the state are assigned to the candidate who gets the most electoral votes. It is within a states authority under Article II, Section 1 to impose a fine on electors for failing to uphold their pledge, the court said in an 8-1 opinion. Gronke notes, however, that there would be major administrative challenges if the U.S. ever got to the point of switching to a national popular vote. Maine and Nebraska, however, have enacted the congressional district method, which allocates one electoral vote to the winner of the popular vote in each state-drawn district. As a result, most are considered safe, that is, comfortably in hand for one party or the other. The way the Electoral College actually functions today isnt even enshrined in the Constitution. However, in the five presidential elections of the 21st century, two ended up with the winner of the popular vote losing the Electoral College. This perception is reinforced by the red- and blue-state imagery that controls our view of the electoral process. See: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/10/21/can-the-electoral-college-be-subverted-by-faithless-electors/. No other mode of presidential elections would be fully consistent with our underlying commitment to the equality of all citizens. Interestingly, the congressional caucus system is very close to the system the British used to replace Prime Minister David Cameron. It's called the national popular vote movement, and it's already been passed into law in many states, totaling 196 electoral votesthe states include big ones like California and New York and small ones like Vermont and Hawaii. While there are two different means to amend the founding document, this country has always used the same route: a 2/3rds vote in both houses of Congress, followed by the ratification of 3/4ths of the states. If the remaining states with Democratic control of the legislature (Maine, Nevada, and Virginia) were to sign on, it would add an additional 23 Electoral College votes. It's another way the system ensures it's perpetuity. And even when that doesn't happen, Wegman sees another problem with the . Christine Stenglein and Saku Gopinath provided research support for this post. How the Electoral College helps preserve our constitutional system. A number of states have signed onto a pact that guarantees their Electoral College votes to the winner of the popular vote, no matter the outcome in their individual states. We will focus on elections in the 20th and 21st centuries. Only one election was so close that it had to go to the House of Representatives, which is how John Quincy Adams won over Andrew Jackson. Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke said there is a "lot of wisdom" in the idea and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., also said she's open to it. The Electoral College thus presents democratic risks without serving any of its original purposes. Technically, it is . What are the positive arguments in favor of replacing the existing electoral system with a national popular vote? The basis for the Electoral College is found inArticle II, Section 1of the Constitution, which spells out how the president shall be chosen.
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