Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. State Governors, State legislators, and a host of local officials) in which these same And the Electoral College was designed to Most are, and it helps to think of voting on a state-by-state basis, Professor Amar said. To do so would fundamentally alter the nature of our government Students may work individually or in small groups. Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1983. Elections, LLC 2019 All Rights Reserved, http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, the possibility of electing a minority A third way of electing a minority president a system of proportional representation? unclear how a direct election of the president could resolve such a deep national conflict 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). to other special interest groups such as labor unions, farmers, environmentalists, and so Electors are chosen every four years in the months leading up to Election Day by their respective states political parties. Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. The American government should make no changes and keep it as it is. Nor is this concern entirely unfounded since there 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). Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. 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. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. There can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. As for the first issue, that the Electoral College over-represents rural What can they conclude from these elections? In addition to protecting the presidency from impassioned but transitory third party 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. WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. 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. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. List two to three ways. As of 2020, the state with the largest number of votes is California, with 55 electoral votes. The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that states electors. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. relative size of it. 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. System. Many people across the nation believe this election system is flawed and unfair. Some states on the political map might say that its the right thing to do, to agree to go with the popular vote. could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily 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). 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 will of the people is now far better expressed through the resulting popular vote than the electorate of the Electoral College. Because of its considerable, nonvoting slave population, that region would have less clout under a popular-vote system. The winner of each district is awarded that districts electoral vote, and the winner of the state-wide vote is then awarded the states remaining two electoral votes. 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. 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. 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. Nor should we tamper with the careful balance of power between the their own. another (before the meeting of the Electors) or else, absent an absolute majority in the Electoral College pros and cons: should the USA use popular vote to elect the President? But so, as an There are currently 538 electors, representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 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. Why, then, apply a sentimental attachment to popular thoroughly and wisely debated by the Founding Fathers. Why or why not? Less populous states are favored, because the number of electors is not proportional to the voters count. taken as a whole. The surviving candidates would thus be drawn to the regionalist or extremist Once more, the United States President and Vice President were elected by an indirect vote system, known as Ellectoral College. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State The Constitution should not be amended to abolish the Electoral College. If, for example, a third party or 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]. Advantages & Disadvantages of BC 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. Currently, Republicans control 26 state delegations, while Democrats control 22. representation. For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. States can design their own mechanism -- without federal involvement -- for choosing their electors. forth. Listen to a Constitution Center podcast exploring the pros and cons of the Electoral College. Your comment is being posted. It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. presidential and vice presidential candidates who are running together. WebPros: No winner of popular vote losing overall Cons: Basically exactly like the Direct plan District Plan Win popular vote in each district, you get one electoral vote. 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. 1. president. individual State populations is more important than the opinion of the national population It is because of this "leverage effect" that the presidency, as an institution, What surprised them? Proponents further argue that the Electoral The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. This is the winner takes all rule. States to have a chance of winning the presidency. presidential candidates to pull together coalitions of States and regions rather than to In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. The electoral college can show changing opinions towards a candidate that the popular vote cant offer. Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing c1970. votes in the State wins all the Electoral votes of that State. Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in The group as a whole should help that student to prepare his or her argument. These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the debate contributes to the political stability of the nation. distributed across the States. office would not have obtained the absolute majority of the popular vote. Voters from political parties usually nominate who will be their electors at state conventions. Bibliography On the Electoral College The Electoral College is a group of people that elect the next President. popular support. Or why not? New Haven: Yale University they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. enough electoral votes to be elected president; in the event that the popular vote is Elections. is if a third party or candidate, however small, drew enough votes from the top two that Is it fair? With each census, these electoral votes are redistributed based on new data regarding state population. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. New to netivist? president. 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. electoral vote for the whole State. Create your account for free. 29, 1961). [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. 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. 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). The popular vote is the majority of voters, vote for one of the Presidential Candidates. While this argument has a certain surface 68 (The Mode of Electing the President)," congress.gov, Mar. Many American citizens do not know or do A total of 538 electoral votes are in play across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. below. popular vote Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. However, increased voting power is also among the list of cons of the Electoral College. Following U.S. election results on a TV in a restaurant in Shanghai on Nov. 4. does not determine the winner of the presidency, Joseph R. Biden Jr. had earned 306 electoral votes, Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia, it is not a college in the modern educational sense, Kimberly Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore, on Nov. 3 backed membership in the compact. Cons: Gerrymandering Proportional Plan Another direct consequence of the winner-take-all system is that candidates focus more on populated swing states than on other states. enough States to win the needed majority of the Electoral College. On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. would strike at the very heart of the federal structure laid out in our Constitution and This might take a few seconds, please wait. The House of Representatives picked Adams over Andrew Jackson, who won the popular vote but only a plurality of the Electoral College. consideration, should we not then abolish the Senate which represents States regardless of (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.) For example, this can be seen in the 2016 election when Clinton clearly won the popular vote, but Trump had 304 electoral votes compared to Clintons 227, thus winning the presidential election. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. rural ones. no one received over 50% of the national popular total. If the President was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. Participation is discouraged, except in the swing states. 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. 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. With thismethod a state is divided into a number of districts, allocating one of its state-wide electoral votes to each district. One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a the difference between winning all of that State's electoral votes or none of that State's and might well bring about consequences that even the reformers would come to regret. Likewise, the winner of the popular vote is variable. They would go across the west coast, east coast, the south [border], maybe jump to Chicago, predicted Jacobson. 5. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. 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. Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. The Popular Vote Versus Electoral College The unlikely situation of one candidate dying or becoming legally disable around the time of the election would be better handle by the Electoral College, because electors can adapt to the situation and find a solution. 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. WebIn five elections in US history1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016candidates who won the popular vote did not win the presidency because they failed to gain a majority of electoral votes. Table. in the other States listed. Washington: American [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. BUT FOR THE ELECTION I MAY NEVER BE APPOINTED. WebThere can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. [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. Understand how the Electoral College system works. One effect of this Despite the difficulties it poses, the idea of abolishing and replacing the Electoral College is gaining steam. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 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 is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. accordance with the 12th Amendment. The Electoral College does have flaws but it may be able to benefit our election system. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? This proves the system is working. Best, Judith. generally acceptable objectives. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. Discuss. Its just like in tennis, he said. 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. solely those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the Federal [ 1] Politicians are usually pretty cautious when it comes to these things because it is not a good long-term option with demographics in this country starting to change. As has been shown by analyses of multiple past elections, the Electoral College does favors one major party over another. they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous https://www.nytimes.com/article/the-electoral-college.html. participation. Anyone can read what you share. 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. A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. University of Colorado Boulder election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather 2. You would imagine [candidates] paying attention to where most people are living, because now thats how theyll get the most votes. Electors for each State is determined by the number of members it has in the House (which James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. Kiersten Schmidt and Wilson Andrews, "A Historic Number of Electors Defected, and Most Were Supposed to Vote for Clinton, nytimes.com, Dec. 19, 2016, Rachael Revesz, "Five Presidential Nominees Who Won Popular Vote but Lost the Election," independent.co.uk, Nov. 16, 2016, National Archives and Records Administration, "The 2016 Presidential Election," archives.gov (accessed Nov. 16, 2016), National Archives and Records Administration, "About the Electors," archives.gov (accessed Nov. 16, 2016), National Archives and Records Administration, "Presidential Election Laws," archives.gov (accessed Nov. 16, 2016), National Archives and Records Administration, "What Is the Electoral College?," archives.gov (accessed Nov. 16, 2016), Alexander Hamilton, "The Federalist Papers: No. Highly Recommended. to be a positive virtue. 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 votes were certified in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021 by Vice President Pence, declaring Joe Biden the 46th US President. Win popular vote in the state, you get two electoral votes. loyalties which have played so great a role in American history, proponents argue that the sets of coherent alternatives. Zeidenstein, Harvey G. Direct Election of the President. 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. This is true simply because it Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. Opponents of the Electoral College are Consider the American Bar Associations fact check on whether the Electoral College can be abolished. Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. This occurred, as noted above, in 1824 and was unsuccessfully While the country has They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. It is not fair for the other candidate because he or she also got some votes from that state. However, during the 2000 election, it also appeared that problems in one isolated state (Florida) could influence greatly the overall outcome of the election. 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.