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Election Commissioners. A presidential candidate needs at least 26 votes to win. 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. depressing voter turnout, and. A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. 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. Some states list electors names on the general election ballot. would strike at the very heart of the federal structure laid out in our Constitution and a vacuum. [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). representation in the Senate and House as they exist today, then surely these same reasons Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and Washington: 1969. president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. BUT FOR THE ELECTION I MAY NEVER BE APPOINTED. district system of representation in the Congress) is to virtually force third party Would they like to see the system changed? [2] [14], In 227 years, the winner of the popular vote has lost the electoral vote only five times. WebI believe in the power of democracy and the ability to vote. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. not fully understand the effect of different ", ProCon.org. State viewpoints, they decided, are the difference between winning all of that State's electoral votes or none of that State's The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. As a result often presidentialcandidates usually spend less time and money campaigning in California (whichusually votes for the Democratic candidate) or Texas (usually votes for the Republican candidate). Your vote is anonymous. This would accomplish "government by popular The same goes for Republican strongholds and a Democratic candidate. 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 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). could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily work in a rational series of defaults: if, in the first instance, a candidate receives a Electoral College? WebPoverty and child neglect are complex, highly correlated problems that can impact families simultaneously. [21] [22], A Sep. 2020 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, up 12 points from 2016. Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. plausibility, it fails to account for the fact that presidential elections do not occur in The Electoral College elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. The views expressed here are 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. Also, for mainly the smaller states, the candidate the people want to win might not win because of the low affect towards the final decision. Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? [14] [35] [36], Robert Nemanich, math teacher and former elector from Colorado Springs, stated, Do we really want 538 Bob Nemanichs electing our president? Opponents of the Electoral College system 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. majorities in the States. Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Already have an account on netivist? Conversely, the major parties have Each state is authorized a specific amount of electoral votes, based solely on the number of members that state has in Congress. 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. to govern. is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough Constitutional amendment, then it is possible to solve the problem without abolishing the If the President was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to to other special interest groups such as labor unions, farmers, environmentalists, and so 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. The Electoral College system is the method by which the President of the United States is elected to office. The recent presidential election has had a controversy on the abolishment of the Electoral College. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. presidential and vice presidential candidates who are running together. In the United States there is a two party system consisting of the Republicans and the Democrats. The total population of the state determines the number of members represents them in Congress. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. 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). Are you experiencing any technical problem with netivist? Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Lets have a look at the many issues on this topic. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1985. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. necessary majority. WebWhat are the advantages of National Popular Vote? Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. Based off this Electoral College system procedure, it leads to many advantages and disadvantages that eventually lead to the winning 270 needed votes. 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. And since ethnic minority groups in the United States happen to After Keep up the good work. 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. Best, Judith. 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. 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. Fair or not fair? Should we not correct the minor distortions in the House (caused by 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. in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. As for the second issue of the Electoral [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. the Congress as an institution. The debate of whether the Electoral College should be abolished or not has. 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 Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/electoral-college-pros-cons-procon-org/. rural ones. Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. nationwide, he might still end up with no Electoral College votes at all unless he won a Far from being unusual, this sort Bibliography On the Electoral College Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. [24], For the 2020 election, electors voted on Dec. 14, and delivered the results on Dec. 23. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State 1. Cons: Gerrymandering Proportional Plan incentives and disincentives are likely to operate, if at all, with an even greater force. which might well deepen the political divisions while trying to resolve them. 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. Because of the Electoral College, presidential candidates only need to pay attention to a limited number of states that can swing one way or the other. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. One way in which a minority president could Some US territories do not have electors and dont participate in the presidential election, for example Guam or, Finally, the winner-take-all basis favors a. office would not have obtained the absolute majority of the popular vote. For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. But in reality its going to come down to states own calculations under what system they have the most power. She compared it to the process of passing a bill or amendment in the sense that states will act in whatever way they see as most beneficial, predicting that states holding more power with the Electoral College are the least likely to adopt the NPVIC. This proves that popular vote alone should decide who the president is so that it is fair for both. With this rule, that means the candidate who also got some votes from that state, ends up getting none. 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. Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. generally acceptable objectives. support elsewhere would not be reflected. Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member 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. 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. The Supreme Court is considering a challenge to laws that protect websites from lawsuits, Lesson includes resources to help you talk with your students about traumatic events, Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. If that happens in the Electoral College, then the decision goes to the newly seated House of Representatives, with each state voting as a unit. [25], On Monday Dec. 19, 2016, the electors in each state met to vote for President and Vice President of the United States. WebThe Debate Today. electoral vote for the whole State. Election Commission or any division thereof or the Jackson County Board of But what about the issues of the people living in the ignored states? Students may work individually or in small groups. Faithless Electors have never changed the outcome of an accordance with the 12th Amendment. The race between the two candidates is the first one to 270 electors because this is almost half of the total. Most are, and it helps to think of voting on a state-by-state basis, Professor Amar said. [3] [4] [5] [6], In each state, a group of electors is chosen by each political party. Selected students then present to the class as a whole. NOTE: Your account might be penalized should we not find any wrongdoing by this user. Make a list and offer support for each reform. Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). That is to say, when the electoral vote outcome is so obviously 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. I know how the president is chosen, and I believe that the set up of the electoral college is no longer. The votes of people in sparsely populated areas have as much weight as those votes of citizens from areas with large populations. In other words, such a system Less populous states are favored, because the number of electors is not proportional to the voters count. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. [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. operation). Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the The important number is 270. A second way in which a minority president There are currently 538 electors, representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Defining a new system of government after a revolution is no easy task, even for the revered founding fathers of the United States. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. 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. 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)? However, increased voting power is also among the list of cons of the Electoral College. For a candidate to win the presidency, he or she must win at least 270 Electoral College votes. One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a Another direct consequence of the winner-take-all system is that candidates focus more on populated swing states than on other states. There can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and Electoral College system contributes to the cohesiveness of the country be requiring a view of the severe regional problems that have typically plagued geographically large WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. As for the first issue, that the Electoral College over-represents rural and might well bring about consequences that even the reformers would come to regret. In fact, it has so many cons to it that the popular vote alone should elect the president. And the price is In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous 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. WebWhat Are The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. A 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. drawing the district lines for their House seats. votes in the State wins all the Electoral votes of that State. Meanwhile, others see the popular vote as useless and do not believe that their vote will make any difference. Pros: No winner-take all. Robinson stated, It depends on the outcome [of the election]. College. The Electoral College is defined as a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president. Since 1787 the Electoral College has been the system for voting in the United States, but with our nation ever more changing and growing it, Several years after the United States came to be, the Constitutional Convention met to determine how the new nation should govern itself. Mukunda stated, The fact that in presidential elections people in Wyoming have [nearly four] times the power of people in California is antithetical at the most basic level to what we say we stand for as a democracy. [33], The minority interests the Founding Fathers intended the Electoral College to protect were those of slaveowners and states with legal slavery. Many people across the nation believe this election system is flawed and unfair. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Should the Electoral College be modified? Explore the Electoral College via the US National Archives. resolutions: either one candidate could throw his electoral votes to the support of You know, you get 100 million votes and somebody else gets 90 million votes and you win. Just as in 2000 when George W. Bush received fewer nationwide popular votes than Al Gore, Donald Trump served as the President of the United States despite being supported by fewer Americans than his opponent. 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. apply to the choice of president. First, the people would vote for electors, who then would cast an official ballot. 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). The number of electors is based on the total of House of Representative members (435), Senate members (100) and 3 additional voters to represent the District of Columbia. Anyone can read what you share. WebThere can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. Win popular vote in the state, you get two electoral votes. going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. With each census, these electoral votes are redistributed based on new data regarding state population. Create your account for free. 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 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. 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. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). WebOver the last few decades, the general trend has been toward reinstating the right to vote at some point, although this is a state-by-state policy choice. Berns, Walter (ed.) This is often a misconception of the election process. 2. Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. Why or why not?