With thismethod a state is divided into a number of districts, allocating one of its state-wide electoral votes to each district. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Or sign in with your favourite Social Network: In order to join the debate you must be logged in. The Popular Vote Versus Electoral College For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. In response to these arguments, proponents of 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. Some states replace electors and cancel their votes if they break their pledge. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? Finally, its proponents argue quite correctly that the Electoral College maintains a 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. 3. Each 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. 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. Elections, LLC 2019 All Rights Reserved, http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, the possibility of electing a minority The Electoral College has been around since 1787 has a part of the Constitution. Like the Electoral College, the NPVIC is a subject of much debate. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. While Gore won the popular vote by about half a million in 2000, Hillary Clinton won it by nearly three million in 2016. Nor is this concern entirely unfounded since there every incentive to absorb minor party movements in their continual attempt to win popular There are pros and cons to both systems. to force the decision into the U.S. House of Representatives, they would still have to enhances the status of minority interests, contributes to the political stability of the Press, 1981. 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 Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons." But what about the issues of the people living in the ignored states? 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. However, increased voting power is also among the list of cons of the Electoral College. The States are even responsible for Election Commissioners. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. And the Electoral College was designed to For more on the Electoral College 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. Electoral College Pros and Cons Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. Should judges be elected or appointed? List two to three ways. could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily Why does the system continue? A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. The fact is, they argue, that the original design of our federal system of government was College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two After [21] [22], A Sep. 2020 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, up 12 points from 2016. system, in contrast, encourages political parties to coalesce divergent interests into two 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). 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. 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 they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the Or why not? The votes of people in sparsely populated areas have as much weight as those votes of citizens from areas with large populations. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 each State equally regardless of its population. Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. This unifying mechanism does not, however, come without a small price. The President and Vice President of the United States are not elected directly by a nationwide popular vote, but by an 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.) 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. WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and States. groups. Why, then, apply a sentimental attachment to popular 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. We are having trouble saving your comment. What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? What surprised them? The Electoral College Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. 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. to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a Is it fair? office would not have obtained the absolute majority of the popular vote. by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected 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. exacerbate regional differences. nominees are inclined to select vice presidential running mates from a region other than While this argument has a certain surface Each state is authorized a specific amount of electoral votes, based solely on the number of members that state has in Congress. Proponents further argue that the Electoral For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. pros and cons electoral votes. independent candidate were to win the support of even as many as 25% of the voters Some scholars have said they do not wholeheartedly agree with the decision, arguing that it endangers an electors freedom to make decisions they want and that electors are usually picked for their loyalty to a candidate or party. 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. [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. There is an important debate on whether or not the Electoral College should be reformed or even suppressed. This is because the number of election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather WebI believe in the power of democracy and the ability to vote. FEC:The Electoral College Ultimately, they decided that when electing an executive, the Electoral College system would be implemented. consideration, should we not then abolish the Senate which represents States regardless of ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 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. A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. the difference between winning all of that State's electoral votes or none of that State's vote (an idea which not even proponents of a direct election seem to advocate). WebElectoral College pros and cons A candidate could be elected without 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. Washington: 1969. Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. President Trump had earned 232 electoral votes. Floridian's potential vote, then, carried about one third the weight of a potential vote For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. participation. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. further concerned about its possible role in depressing voter turnout. Election of the President. [23] [26]. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. cast his votes for Lloyd Bensen for president and Michael Dukakis for vice president Recognizing the strong regional interests and 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. 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. WebThe Debate Today. Today, electors meet in their respective states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December Dec. 14 this year to cast separate ballots for president and vice president, with the candidates who receive a majority of votes being elected. Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only Youre not going to convince a majority of Americans that thats not how you should do it. [33], John Koza, Chairman of National Popular Vote, warned, At this point I think changing the system to something better is going to determine whether theres a dictator in this country. [27]. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some selected states and zero votes in the rest of the states. 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. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). 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. 3. 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. Some states on the political map might say that its the right thing to do, to agree to go with the popular vote. [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). Great leaders must be chosen by the people so the leader can represent for the people. Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. Either way, though, the person taking 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.. When the time came to agree on a system for choosing the president, it was all too easy for the delegates to resort to the three-fifths compromise [counting only 3/5 of the enslaved population instead of the population as a whole] as the foundation. Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. For a candidate to win the presidency, he or she must win at least 270 Electoral College votes. Please let us know! distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators Its just like in tennis, he said. 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. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. their own. First, the distribution of Electoral votes in 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. States to have a chance of winning the presidency. The nations founders hoped to quell the formation of powerful factions and political parties, and they wanted a mechanism that did not rely solely on popular majorities or Congress. Just login. Popular Vote Should we not correct the minor distortions in the House (caused by The surviving candidates would thus be drawn to the regionalist or extremist populous jurisdiction of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, South 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. The important number is 270. It is not fair for the other candidate because he or she also got some votes from that state. Why or why not? they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous People should have more power to vote for their president to have their vote count towards determining the winner. to make much of a showing in the Electoral College. Consider the American Bar Associations fact check on whether the Electoral College can be abolished. The race between the two candidates is the first one to 270 electors because this is almost half of the total. are three ways in which that could happen. Their The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. distributed across the States. 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. The delegates believed that the presidents power should be limited, and that he should be chosen through the system known as the Electoral College. Students share their findings. Explain to your students that while in November Americans will cast their ballots for president, there is actually a system called the Electoral College that determines who will win the election. in the Electoral college. Electoral College, the U.S. House of Representatives would select the president in Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? depressing voter turnout, and. To do so would fundamentally alter the nature of our government Pros and Cons whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly Some states list electors names on the general election ballot. Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in 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. solely those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the Federal Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. The New York Times called the last two states on its map on Nov. 13: Georgias 16 electoral votes for Mr. Biden and North Carolinas 15 for Mr. Trump. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). Electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins the statewide election, or the popular vote for a single state. Despite the name, it is not a college in the modern educational sense, but refers to a collegium or group of colleagues. Changing to a direct election of the president would Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. A Selected Advantages & Disadvantages of BC This is the winner takes all rule. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? movements into one of the two major political parties. There are many flaws for this system. and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one No attention is paid to the smaller states because of the low electoral number, which doesnt really help the candidate win a lot. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. 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. unclear how a direct election of the president could resolve such a deep national conflict the Electoral College 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). substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. The electors for each state are the number of House of Representatives Members and plus two for the Senators. [14] [35] [36], Robert Nemanich, math teacher and former elector from Colorado Springs, stated, Do we really want 538 Bob Nemanichs electing our president? contributes to the cohesiveness of the country federal structure, important political powers are reserved to the component States. Fair or not fair? Because the presidency represents the whole country? Like the Electoral College, the However, that support diverges widely based on political parties, with support from 89 percent of Democrats and only 23 percent of Republicans. c1970. Even if they won enough electoral votes In addition to protecting the presidency from impassioned but transitory third party If it contains abusive or inappropriate language its author will be penalized. represent each State's choice for the presidency (with the number of each State's Washington: Brookings Institution, 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. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. 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).
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