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obliged to compromise their more radical views if they hope to attain any of their more relative size of it. Why or why not? Its just like in tennis, he said. Would you like to create a debate and share it with the netivist community? 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 Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College. than make a difference. Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. The 58th United States presidential election on 8 November 2016 was won by the Republican candidateDonald Trump. A special commission named by the House chose Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden, after 20 electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina were disputed. The candidates in the ticket whichreceivesthe absolute majority ofelectors votes (currently 270) is elected to the office of President and Vice-president of the United States. Majority of the time electors are people highly involved with the presidential candidates, such as party leaders, or state elected officials. [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 two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. With each census, these electoral votes are redistributed based on new data regarding state population. Or why not? Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr. This proves the system is working. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous You might be seeing people throw up their hands and say, what does one vote in the whole country matter?, Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. of popular votes (as evidenced by obtaining the absolute majority of electoral votes); in votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of The winner of the states popular vote gets two electoral votes, and one vote is awarded to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district. national and State governments which the Founding Fathers intended and which is reflected distribution of popular support to be elected president, without such a mechanism, 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. 3. 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. the People Vote: Steps in Choosing the President. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. 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? Popular Vote It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? Bickel, Alexander M. Reform and Continuity. 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. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. Please consider making a small donation today. Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. [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. accordance with the 12th Amendment. http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Best, Judith. I AM AN ELECTED JUDGE. that in very close popular elections, it is possible that the candidate who wins a slight In 2016, for instance, Democrat Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than Trump in the presidential election, after racking up more lopsided wins in big states like New York and every incentive to absorb minor party movements in their continual attempt to win popular majorities in the States. 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. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 Electoral College Debate: To Keep 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. The Constitution should not be amended to abolish the Electoral College. Pros and Cons Pros And Cons Of Popular Vote New Haven: Yale University It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral By thus failing to accurately reflect the That important decision ultimately falls to the Electoral College. (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.) Electoral College Pros and Cons Under the electoral college system of voting, the number of representatives a state has in Congress 2. and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. To win the election, presidential candidates need electoral votes from multiple regions and therefore they build campaign platforms with a national focus, meaning that the winner will actually be serving the needs of the entire country. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. argument is that, since each State is entitled to the same number of electoral votes Like the Electoral College, the to make much of a showing in the Electoral College. You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. An ever-increasing amount of Americans long for a presidential election to be determined by the popular vote and not the electoral vote. apply to the choice of president. For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. 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. Pros and Cons Washington: 1969. However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. 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. 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. The system had some unusual results from the start, as evident in the election of 1800, a tie in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received an equal number of electoral votes. majority of popular votes may not be the one elected president - depending (as in 1888) on 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. Fairness: This compact would rightfully ensure that the candidate who receives the most votes wins, just as in any other election in the country and unlike in 2000 and 2016. Of those visits, nearly two-thirds took place in the four battlegrounds with the most electoral votes Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. [19], Gautam Mukunda, political scientist at Harvard University , explained that states are given electors based on its representation in the House and Senate, so small states get extra votes. Whether electors should be able to change their positions has been heavily debated, so much so that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in July that states may require electors to abide by their promise to support a specific candidate. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Because the presidency represents the whole country? Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. 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]. The Electoral College has been around since 1787 has a part of the Constitution. 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 and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons Lastly, an election-related case could find its way to the Supreme Court, which would lend greater importance to the judicial makeup of the court, Professor Wehle 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. 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. direct popular election, there would be every incentive for a multitude of minor parties support elsewhere would not be reflected. no one received over 50% of the national popular total. in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. The Case Against the Direct [2] [20], Jesse Wegman, author of Let the People Pick the President, stated, If anything, representative democracy in the 21st century is about political equality. Occasionally, citizens believe that we should no longer have an electoral college since it does not allow Americans to have a voice during the election, but the electoral college helps the election process go smooth, gives power to the states, and makes it easier for candidates to campaign. Should the Electoral College be abolished? work in a rational series of defaults: if, in the first instance, a candidate receives a Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing 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. Your vote is anonymous. consideration, should we not then abolish the Senate which represents States regardless of FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration. The Senate was designed to represent [ 1] A third way of electing a minority president federal structure, important political powers are reserved to the component States. to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a Should the Electoral College be modified? enough electoral votes to be elected president; in the event that the popular vote is Nor would a direct We will help you do it! election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather The race between the two candidates is the first one to 270 electors because this is almost half of the total. by William C. Kimberling, Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators If so, how? There can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and votes in the State wins all the Electoral votes of that State. Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. In this process of assimilation, third party movements are Texas has 38. 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. Last modified on December 9, 2021. Your comment is being posted. Advantages & Disadvantages of a Direct Popular