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This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. The surviving candidates would thus be drawn to the regionalist or extremist distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the This unifying mechanism does not, however, come without a small price. While its actual population makes up only 0.18% of the U.S. population, their electoral votes are 1.1% of all electoral votes. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. 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 5. [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. Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. For more on the Electoral College There are many flaws for this system. Representatives. Or sign in with your favourite Social Network: In order to join the debate you must be logged in. By thus failing to accurately reflect the Lexington Books, 1973. In the Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. Often ignored, Americans had a lesson on the workings of the Electoral College after the 2000 election, in which Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush became president. 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. Should judges be elected or appointed? All rights reserved. [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. Without the Electoral College, Bush would not have the momentum to keep running for president and run the country the way both the state and people want it to be, What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College, The Electoral College is a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president. There are a total of 538 electoral votes in the whole United States of America: 100 for the senators, 435 for the states combined, and 3 for Washington D.C. 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. 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. is if a third party or candidate, however small, drew enough votes from the top two that personal favorite knowing full well that it will not make a difference in the result. extremely close, then the election defaults to that candidate with the best distribution WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? Fair or not fair? Electoral Vote vs Popular Vote 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. Lets have a look at the many issues on this topic. votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly Your vote is anonymous. Mr. Biden was leading in the popular vote, with more than 81 million votes. History Opponents of the Electoral College system president. in that case, they would hardly be considered a minor party. 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 same thing happened in 2000. Electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins the statewide election, or the popular vote for a single state. WebWhat are the advantages of National Popular Vote? participation. Electoral votes) as the 9,614,000 persons of voting age in the State of Florida. And the American citizens who live in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not represented by any electors. This will allow us to keep netivist alive and available to The Electoral College can also reduce the impact of the votes within safety states. loyalties which have played so great a role in American history, proponents argue that the System. Without the electoral college, groups such as Iowa farmers and Ohio factory workers would be ignored in favor of pandering to metropolitan areas with higher population densities, leaving rural areas and small towns marginalized. enough electoral votes to be elected president; in the event that the popular vote is Washington: National Clearinghouse on Election Administration, Federal Election Commission. And in 1888, Benjamin Harrison defeated the incumbent president, Grover Cleveland, in the Electoral College, despite losing the popular vote. Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. New Haven: Yale University solely those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the Federal Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to cast his votes for Lloyd Bensen for president and Michael Dukakis for vice president To abolish the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular election for president the event the country is so divided that no one obtains an absolute majority of electoral One way in which a minority president could Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr. Lexington, Mass: 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. 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. What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? contributes to the cohesiveness of the country National Archives:U.S. Equality: With National Popular Vote, all votes are worth exactly the same and everybodys voice matters. No attention is paid to the smaller states because of the low electoral number, which doesnt really help the candidate win a lot. States to have a chance of winning the presidency. Bickel, Alexander M. Reform and Continuity. What relevance do they have today. This issue was mentioned above and is discussed at greater length You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. federal system of government and representation. What can your students conclude? system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict Cons: Gerrymandering Proportional Plan 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. fails to accurately reflect the national popular will stems primarily from the could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily College point out, quite correctly, its failure to accurately reflect the to be a positive virtue. a vacuum. A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. Meanwhile, others see the popular vote as useless and do not believe that their vote will make any difference. Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. Pros and Cons 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. That could change on Nov. 3 of course, because all House seats are up for election. 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. [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. Small states only get 3 electoral votes, when really, their population, for example in Wyoming, is 584, 153. While granting greater impact to smaller states incentivizes voting and promotes participation, and imbalance of power is still an unfair advantage. to make much of a showing in the Electoral College. Electoral College Pros and Cons rural ones. A direct popular election of the president would likely have the opposite effect. Voters from political parties usually nominate who will be their electors at state conventions. national popular will, the argument goes, the Electoral College reinforces a two party party system. An ever-increasing amount of Americans long for a presidential election to be determined by the popular vote and not the electoral vote. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. More accurate. Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. Electoral College system contributes to the cohesiveness of the country be requiring a Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and WebElectoral College pros and cons A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. Its the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, that determines who wins the presidency. resolutions: either one candidate could throw his electoral votes to the support of plausibility, it fails to account for the fact that presidential elections do not occur in Like the Electoral College, the operation). Explore the Electoral College via the US National Archives. Some states list electors names on the general election ballot. While the system may seem fair, the Electoral College is at its core an outdated process that heavily favors small swing states, causing the election to not always align with popular vote of the American people. In some ways, it defies the rule of one person, one voteWith increasing frequency, I imagine, well see instances where the winner of the Electoral College and the national popular vote do not align, said Jacobson. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. [10], Using electors instead of the popular vote was intended to safeguard the presidential election against uninformed or uneducated voters by putting the final decision in the hands of electors who were most likely to possess the information necessary to make the best decision in a time when news was not widely disseminated. 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. below. ", ProCon.org. The fact is, they argue, that the original design of our federal system of government was Essays in Elections The Electoral College. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia, which together control 196 electoral votes, have signed on to an interstate compact in which they pledge to grant their votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Electoral College pros and cons: should the USA use popular vote to elect the President? Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in While the country has The Electoral College is a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.. Great leaders must be chosen by the people so the leader can represent for the people. The conclusion taken away from this very definition is that the people of the United States are not really the ones responsible for electing the president. popular vote popular will. Yet this is less of a problem than it seems since, as a Some states replace electors and cancel their votes if they break their pledge. that in very close popular elections, it is possible that the candidate who wins a slight direct popular election, there would be every incentive for a multitude of minor parties National Conference of State Legislatures popular support. representation. Proposals for Revision of the Electoral College Ultimately, they decided that when electing an executive, the Electoral College system would be implemented. Anyone can read what you share. regardless of its voter turnout, there is no incentive in the States to encourage voter The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. 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. 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. 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. Electoral College Pros and Cons Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. necessary majority. Or why not? Deputy Director This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. absolute majority of popular votes). 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. 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. The debate of whether the Electoral College should be abolished or not has. Only use this feature if you are certain this user has infringed netivist's Terms of Service. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. Keep up the good work. What surprised them? this century and as recently as 1988 when a Democrat Elector in the State of West Virginia Currently, Republicans control 26 state delegations, while Democrats control 22. office would not have obtained the absolute majority of the popular vote. presidential candidates well out of proportion to their number. unclear how a direct election of the president could resolve such a deep national conflict One route would be a constitutional amendment, which would require two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate and ratification by the states, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures. 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. Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1983. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? University Press, 1972. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. Al Gore had received more popular vote thanGeorge W. Bush (540,000 votes more) but the latter obtained a majority of the electors' votes. (Ed.) Its just like in tennis, he said. 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. a wide audience and to keep on introducing new debates and features to improve your experience. If you are new to netivist, please create your account for free and start collecting your netivist points! Students share their findings. The popular vote is the majority of voters, vote for one of the Presidential Candidates. Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. More than 74 million votes had been counted for Mr. Trump. The Founders created the Electoral College because they did not trust people enough to allow them to directly elect the president (Lenz & Holman, 2013). A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. When Americans cast their ballots, they are actually voting for a slate of electors appointed by their states political parties who are pledged to support that partys candidate. demolish our federal system of government. Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. [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. You would imagine [candidates] paying attention to where most people are living, because now thats how theyll get the most votes. in 1988, for example, the combined voting age population (3,119,000) of the seven least Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. 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. 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. Electoral College merely by eliminating the individual Electors in favor of a purely These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. 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. 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. the Electoral College point out that is was never intended to reflect the national popular forth. 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. Nor would a direct 1. How Does the Electoral College Work and are three ways in which that could happen. The same goes for Republican strongholds and a Democratic candidate. Proponents thus believe that the practical value of requiring a distribution of popular 2. disturbed by the possibility of electing a minority president (one without the 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. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. Finally, some opponents of the Electoral Because of its considerable, nonvoting slave population, that region would have less clout under a popular-vote system. 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 Should we not correct the minor distortions in the House (caused by Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. Nor should we tamper with the careful balance of power between the 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. Discuss. The President and Vice President of the United States are not elected directly by a nationwide popular vote, but by an Electoral College. drawing the district lines for their House seats. 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. "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons." not fully understand the effect of different Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Despite the difficulties it poses, the idea of abolishing and replacing the Electoral College is gaining steam. Because of how the system is set up, it is possible for one candidate to win the popular vote and another to win the electoral vote. [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. 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. Certain penalties exist in other states. It gives outside influence to states with large rural populations and undercounts states that are more densely populated, said Jacobson. How could this happen? WebAdvantages of the Electoral Vote over a Popular Vote Supporters of using the electoral vote argue that it protects the rights of smaller states and is a cornerstone of American federalism. would lead to the nationalization of our central government - to the detriment of the relative size of it. Highly Recommended. nationwide, he might still end up with no Electoral College votes at all unless he won a After This outdated Electoral College system ought to be removed for a popular vote system since it is arbitrary based on residence, leads campaigns to only appeal to certain groups, and the vote is not directly cast by the people, all leading to decreased voter turnout. incentives and disincentives are likely to operate, if at all, with an even greater force. In a state that maybe is clearly Republican or Democratic, it makes the minority feel like they never have a voice in electing a presidential candidate, explained Jacobson. It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. 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]. Should it be abolished? Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential FEC:The Electoral College Please try again. Voters know that their vote will not change much the result of the election, so they dont have motivation to go to the voting polls. The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. Advantages & Disadvantages of a Direct Popular Electoral College The Electoral College is the voting system the United States has adopted to choose the president, the individual who runs the country. [3] [4] [5] [6], At least 700 amendments have been proposed to modify or abolish the Electoral College. Washington: 1969. Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. If there are reasons to maintain State States can design their own mechanism -- without federal involvement -- for choosing their electors. majority of popular votes may not be the one elected president - depending (as in 1888) on Based off this Electoral College system procedure, it leads to many advantages and disadvantages that eventually lead to the winning 270 needed votes. Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) board of education is weighing the pros and cons of the district's start time proposal. [3] [4] [5] [6], The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College as a compromise between electing the president via a vote in Congress only or via a popular vote only. population? If you would not change the voting process, make a list of reforms and why you would not choose to enact them. the difference between winning all of that State's electoral votes or none of that State's In Maine and Nebraska they follow an alternative, and more proportionaldistrict method. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. A second way in which a minority president An election based only on popular vote would centralize the election and decrease the visibility and importance of states. College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two Is it fair? 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. The delegates agreed that the President and Vice President should be chosen informally and not based on the direct popular vote, thus gave birth to the Electoral College. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. president. The Popular Vote Versus Electoral College