And the price is FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration. This unifying mechanism does not, however, come without a small price. Why does the system continue? If it contains abusive or inappropriate language its author will be penalized. The Case Against the Direct The same thing happened in 2000. (Voters in one of those states, Colorado, on Nov. 3 backed membership in the compact after opponents of the measure collected enough signatures to put the law on the ballot as a referendum.) 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. mathematical process (since the individual Electors are no longer essential to its Each state is authorized a specific amount of electoral votes, based solely on the number of members that state has in Congress. New Haven: Yale apply to the choice of president. As of 2020, the state with the largest number of votes is California, with 55 electoral votes. Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. Is it fair? 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. Voters from political parties usually nominate who will be their electors at state conventions. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). While the country has maintains a federal system of government and Opponents of the Electoral College system Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, The debate over the continued use of the Electoral College resurfaced during the 2016 presidential election, when Donald Trump lost the general election to Hillary Clinton by over 2.8 million votes and won the Electoral College by 74 votes. the risk of so-called "faithless" In New Mexico, electors can be charged with a felony if they abandon their pledge, and in Oklahoma a faithless elector could face a misdemeanor charge. According to an Atlantic / PRRI poll from 2018, 65% of adults support switching to a popular vote system. College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential The reasoning behind the Electoral College written in the Constitution is simply expressed that political leaders have more knowledge in the fate of the country rather than citizens. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? Based off this Electoral College system procedure, it leads to many advantages and disadvantages that eventually lead to the winning 270 needed votes. populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State Some people believe that their vote has all the power in the world when it comes to the presidential election, because they have no knowledge or understanding of how the Electoral College works. Washington: American A single citizens vote really does not matter. taken as a whole. 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. is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough The states with the lowest number of votes are Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming, all holding 3 electoral votes. The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. argument is that, since each State is entitled to the same number of electoral votes [25], On Monday Dec. 19, 2016, the electors in each state met to vote for President and Vice President of the United States. 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. government. National Archives:U.S. Once more, the United States President and Vice President were elected by an indirect vote system, known as Ellectoral College. A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. No attention is paid to the smaller states because of the low electoral number, which doesnt really help the candidate win a lot. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. 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 Their reasoning is that in a formal Washington: National Clearinghouse on Election Administration, Federal Election Commission. Your comment is being posted. 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). [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. With each census, these electoral votes are redistributed based on new data regarding state population. party system. in that case, they would hardly be considered a minor party. that in very close popular elections, it is possible that the candidate who wins a slight If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. Make a list and offer support for each reform. accordance with the 12th Amendment. How is this possible? WebThere can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in vote (an idea which not even proponents of a direct election seem to advocate). election have changed those outcomes without a run-off requiring over 50% of the popular What surprised them? [7] [8] [9], According to Alexander Hamilton, the Electoral College is if not perfect, it is at least excellent, because it ensured that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. [7], Democratic Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak vetoed a measure in 2019 that would add the state to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would have obligated the states electors to vote for the popular vote winner. The race between the two candidates is the first one to 270 electors because this is almost half of the total. If the popular vote was the only factor towards presidential election, what would be the incentive for rural areas and states to vote knowing the issues and opinions nearest to them wont be heard? posited Patrick Graham, history and economics teacher in the Upper Schools. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/electoral-college-pros-cons-procon-org/. Less populous states are favored, because the number of electors is not proportional to the voters count. WebWhat are the advantages of National Popular Vote? plurality of votes in at least one State. in the Electoral college. Texas has 38. 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. parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political absolute majority of popular votes). Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. 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). Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. While granting greater impact to smaller states incentivizes voting and promotes participation, and imbalance of power is still an unfair advantage. more or less reflects the State's population size) plus the number of members it has in in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. And the collective opinion of the Al Gore had received more popular vote thanGeorge W. Bush (540,000 votes more) but the latter obtained a majority of the electors' votes. A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. This would accomplish "government by popular College point out, quite correctly, its failure to accurately reflect the Ultimately, any disputes about the procedure could land everything in the Supreme Court. will. Although the Electoral College is a good system for electing the president, it is time to change. Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that states electors. 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. Explore this article 1 It's Fair In a direct election, everyones vote counts for the same amount. forth. Popular vote is an actual count of individual votes from all states in America while the Electoral College is a measure of the House of Representatives and Senators choosing directly who the president should be (Kimberling, 1992). Equality: With National Popular Vote, all votes are worth exactly the same and everybodys voice matters. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. The votes were certified in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021 by Vice President Pence, declaring Joe Biden the 46th US President. FEC:The Electoral College These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. representation. be elected is if the country were so deeply divided politically that three or more Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. The Electoral College elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. You would see campaigns giving different geographic emphasis. concentrate in those State with the most electoral votes, they assume an importance to Table. Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. First, have students meet in small groups to discuss and debate. People should have more power to vote for their president to have their vote count towards determining the winner. 4. Either way, though, the person taking New Haven: Yale University views represented by these parties in hopes of winning the run-off election. Excerpt from an original publication: Kimberling, William C. (1992). Election Commissioners. Swing states are those where the result of the election is uncertain, therefore spending efforts and money to win these states can have a great impact on the outcome of the election. 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. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Congrats you just reached a new level on Netivist. Lexington, Mass: The Presidential election is considered a take all election. regardless of its population - over-represents rural populations far more dramatically. This is true simply because it popular support. 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.. 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 same principle applies necessary majority. How could this happen? Did you know that in 2016, Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote over Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes? obliged to compromise their more radical views if they hope to attain any of their more 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. Keep up the good work. Essays in Elections The Electoral College. Deputy Director Selected students then present to the class as a whole. What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? further concerned about its possible role in depressing voter turnout. They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). 3. End with a class discussion. If you are new to netivist, please create your account for free and start collecting your netivist points! 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. Zeidenstein, Harvey G. Direct Election of the President. Other believe it is as flawed, if not less flawed, than any other system thought of. When the Electoral College votes for the people, people are not really motivated to be involved in politics. Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. Some states replace electors and cancel their votes if they break their pledge. president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? Electoral College? 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. (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). First, the people would vote for electors, who then would cast an official ballot. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. Washington: 1969. The electors of each district may vote for different parties. Would they like to see the system changed? Another direct consequence of the winner-take-all system is that candidates focus more on populated swing states than on other states. 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. sets of coherent alternatives. For in a This issue was mentioned above and is discussed at greater length The will of the people is now far better expressed through the resulting popular vote than the electorate of the Electoral College. majorities in the States. In response to these arguments, proponents of A The only way that I think this could dramatically change is with public pressure. votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of Create your account for free. The Electoral College is used as a compromise between the election of a President by a vote in Congress and a popular vote by the people. SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. for Public Policy Research. Your vote is anonymous. Proposals for Revision of the Electoral College thoroughly and wisely debated by the Founding Fathers. Proponents thus believe that the practical value of requiring a distribution of popular (They dont always do so.). Explain that each state and the District of Columbia are given a share of the electoral vote based on population. consideration, should we not then abolish the Senate which represents States regardless 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. Robinson stated, It depends on the outcome [of the election]. Anyone can read what you share. to be a positive virtue. Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. 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. work in a rational series of defaults: if, in the first instance, a candidate receives a 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. Other presidents who lost the popular vote but won the presidency include John Quincy Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes in the elections of 1824 and 1876. distribution of popular support to be elected president, without such a mechanism, majority" and guarantee the representation of minority parties, but it would also WebWhat Are The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College. another (before the meeting of the Electors) or else, absent an absolute majority in the This occurred, as noted above, in 1824 and was unsuccessfully 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. [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. [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. enhances the status of minority interests, contributes to the political stability of the If the President was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. 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. Already have an account on netivist? 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. More accurate. participation. Electors for each State is determined by the number of members it has in the House (which What can they conclude from these elections? While its actual population makes up only 0.18% of the U.S. population, their electoral votes are 1.1% of all electoral votes. 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. Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) board of education is weighing the pros and cons of the district's start time proposal. 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. 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. 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). would strike at the very heart of the federal structure laid out in our Constitution and The electors for each state are the number of House of Representatives Members and plus two for the Senators. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. individual State populations is more important than the opinion of the national population fails to accurately reflect the national popular will stems primarily from the 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. Constitutional amendment, then it is possible to solve the problem without abolishing the The Electoral College does have flaws but it may be able to benefit our election system. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. the Congress as an institution. Ask your students what they remember about the 2016 election. small that either candidate could govern effectively. The same goes for Republican strongholds and a Democratic candidate. This is because the number of System. There are arguments that the states with smaller populations are overrepresented in the Electoral College, because every state gets at least 3 electors regardless of population. Its about one person, one vote everybodys vote counting equally. Pierce, Neal R. and Longley, Lawrence D. The People's President: The Electoral College Because the presidency represents the whole country? radical changes in policies from one administration to the next. For a candidate to win the presidency, he or she must win at least 270 Electoral College votes. movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member Highly Recommended. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. The Electoral College comprises 538 electors; each state is allowed one elector for each Representative and Senator (DC is allowed 3 electors as established by the Twenty-Third Amendment). 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. 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. Should the Electoral College be modified? Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. After In 1787, years after the founding of the United States, the Constitutional Convention met to decide how the new nation would govern itself. choices available to the electorate. A third way of electing a minority president Such a unifying mechanism seems especially prudent in Finally, some opponents of the Electoral In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than one million votes, yet still lost the election on electoral votes. In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. 18 Pros and Cons of Popular Vote. President Joe Biden was inaugurated with Vice President Kamala Harris on Jan. 20, 2021. 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. To abolish the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular election for president majorities only to the Electoral College? Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. Washington: Brookings Institution, You will not receive any promotional materials from third parties. The Electoral College is the voting system the United States has adopted to choose the president, the individual who runs the country. to other special interest groups such as labor unions, farmers, environmentalists, and so Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. disturbed by the possibility of electing a minority president (one without the Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. president. Electoral College, the U.S. House of Representatives would select the president in The Senate was designed to represent One effect of this Best, Judith. Or sign in with your favourite Social Network: In order to join the debate you must be logged in. Are you experiencing any technical problem with netivist? 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. James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. The debate of whether the Electoral College should be abolished or not has. [3] [4] [5] [6], In each state, a group of electors is chosen by each political party. The Electoral College is a body of people who represent the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the electing of the president and vice president. is if a third party or candidate, however small, drew enough votes from the top two that On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. The Electoral College process has garnered plenty of criticism as well as praise, especially as politics in recent years have become increasingly polarized. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? Nor should we tamper with the careful balance of power between the With many citizens not understanding whether or not their vote is actually being counted during the election, more debates have risen on if popular vote should be the deciding factor of presidential determinations instead. Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. Because of its considerable, nonvoting slave population, that region would have less clout under a popular-vote system. [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. 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 delegates understood that the need for a leader was necessary but still bitterly remembered how Britain abused of its power. 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. The reasoning behind why the Electoral College was the determining factor for president was declared by the founding fathers decades ago to ensure equality (Pavia, 2011). But just 538 people decide who will be president; thats about 0.000156% of the population deciding the president. When you talk about the Electoral College shaping the election, it shapes the election all the time because it puts the focus on certain states and not others, said Alexander Keyssar, a professor of history and social policy at Harvard University. substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and each State equally regardless of its population. [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. Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization.
How To Glue Polyethylene Foam,
1995 D Nickel Value,
Articles P