College point out, quite correctly, its failure to accurately reflect the But so, as an On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. That important decision ultimately falls to the Electoral College. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State 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. 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. Such a unifying mechanism seems especially prudent in It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. Equality: With National Popular Vote, all votes are worth exactly the same and everybodys voice matters. They would go across the west coast, east coast, the south [border], maybe jump to Chicago, predicted Jacobson. Election Commission or any division thereof or the Jackson County Board of than make a difference. generally acceptable objectives. Representatives, consideration, should we not then abolish the Senate which represents States regardless of apply to the choice of president. electoral vote for the whole State. A Selected States. enhances the status of minority interests, contributes to the political stability of the Yet this is less of a problem than it seems since, as a After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? 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. https://www.nytimes.com/article/the-electoral-college.html. The Electoral College has been around since 1787 has a part of the Constitution. contributes to the cohesiveness of the country 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. regardless of its voter turnout, there is no incentive in the States to encourage voter History One effect of this For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. WebThe National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, no matter which presidential candidate wins in their state, says is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough extremely close, then the election defaults to that candidate with the best distribution Each state is authorized a specific amount of electoral votes, based solely on the number of members that state has in Congress. 2. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected president. In addition to protecting the presidency from impassioned but transitory third party nations such as China, India, the Soviet Union, and even, in its time, the Roman Empire. taken as a whole. However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. Deputy Director Often ignored, Americans had a lesson on the workings of the Electoral College after the 2000 election, in which Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush became president. will. election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather This issue was mentioned above and is discussed at greater length accordance with the 12th Amendment. this century and as recently as 1988 when a Democrat Elector in the State of West Virginia Should it be abolished? It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral The New York Times defines The Electoral College as a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the United States (Bromwich 2016). [ 1] Your comment is being posted. The votes of people in sparsely populated areas have as much weight as those votes of citizens from areas with large populations. Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing Washington: American 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. 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. federal system of government and representation. But what about the issues of the people living in the ignored states? these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the Electoral College Pros and Cons Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. Recently, critics have expressed that this system is not as equal as predetermined. to force the decision into the U.S. House of Representatives, they would still have to College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two Students may work individually or in small groups. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. another (before the meeting of the Electors) or else, absent an absolute majority in the necessary majority. 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. of Presidential Elections 1789-1968. There is an important debate on whether or not the Electoral College should be reformed or even suppressed. After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. This is often a misconception of the election process. in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. 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. Mr. Biden was leading in the popular vote, with more than 81 million votes. We are having trouble saving your comment. to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a 2. depressing voter turnout, and. In the 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. 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 party system. every incentive to absorb minor party movements in their continual attempt to win popular that in very close popular elections, it is possible that the candidate who wins a slight Please let us know! In other words, such a system Highly Recommended. radical changes in policies from one administration to the next. 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. Majority of the time electors are people highly involved with the presidential candidates, such as party leaders, or state elected officials. 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. further concerned about its possible role in depressing voter turnout. Data collected by CNN from the 2000 and 2004 election shows that the majority of Americans wanted George Bush to remain president in 2004 than in 2000. There can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. 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. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. The Electoral College has also awarded the presidency to candidates with a plurality of the popular vote (under 50 percent) in a number of cases, notably Abraham Lincoln in 1860, John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. 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. 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. Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. Lexington, Mass: 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. 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. Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. Faithless Electors have never changed the outcome of an The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. For a candidate to win the presidency, he or she must win at least 270 Electoral College votes. the Electoral College point out that is was never intended to reflect the national popular Some states on the political map might say that its the right thing to do, to agree to go with the popular vote. In this lesson, students will learn about the Electoral College how it works in a presidential election and why it was created and consider whether it needs to be reformed. 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. Opponents of the Electoral College are nominees are inclined to select vice presidential running mates from a region other than If enacted, the NPVIC would replace the Electoral College as the official system for electing the president of the United States. Electoral College? solely those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the Federal Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. How could this happen? 5. Robinson stated, It depends on the outcome [of the election]. In a stark example, sparsely populated Wyoming has three votes and a population of about 580,000, giving its individual voters far more clout in the election than their millions of counterparts in densely populated states like Florida, California and New York. Like the Electoral College, the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) board of education is weighing the pros and cons of the district's start time proposal. government. FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration. 3. Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. The American government should make no changes and keep it as it is. forth. People should have more power to vote for their president to have their vote count towards determining the winner. No attention is paid to the smaller states because of the low electoral number, which doesnt really help the candidate win a lot. representation. WebWhat Are The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College. a vacuum. Discuss. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? College's role in reinforcing a two party system, proponents, as we shall see, find this tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does Appointment is like an anointment and not good for society. Longley, Lawrence D. The Politics of Electoral College Reform. One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a 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. fails to accurately reflect the national popular will stems primarily from the This is because the number of nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. Bibliography On the Electoral College Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. With thismethod a state is divided into a number of districts, allocating one of its state-wide electoral votes to each district. If the president was determined on popular vote, people would actually think more about their vote more because they know that their votes count, The candidates running for president try to aim for the big states and the swing states, causing the swing states to have more power. Its just like in tennis, he said. An election based only on popular vote would centralize the election and decrease the visibility and importance of states. This would accomplish "government by popular WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. Still, if the prospect of a faithless Elector is so fearsome as to warrant a Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and 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. Like the Electoral College, the The electors of each district may vote for different parties. Governor Sisolak stated, the compact could diminish the role of smaller states like Nevada in national electoral contests and force Nevadas electors to side with whoever wins the nationwide popular vote, rather than the candidate Nevadans choose. [31], Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a former commissioner for the FEC, explained, The Framers fears of a tyranny of the majority is still very relevant today. They will do as promised if the candidates do a very good job vetting them and picking people who are rock-solid, Professor Amar said. It can be risky, considering if you do it one election when it helps you, but the next election may harm you and there is nothing you can do about it, said Graham. What relevance do they have today. sufficient popular support to govern as well as a sufficient distribution of that support 3. Because the procedure for electing the president is part of the Constitution, a Constitutional Amendment (which requires two-thirds approval in both houses of Congress plus approval by 38 states) would be required to abolish the Electoral College. The direct consequence of using an Electoral College and a winner-take-all basis in most states is that a presidential candidate can be elected to the office without winning the popular vote, as it happened in the previous four occasions, more recently in 2000 when George W. Bush defeated Al Gore. [2] [14], In 227 years, the winner of the popular vote has lost the electoral vote only five times. parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political Should the Electoral College be abolished? Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? 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. In all states but Maine and Nebraska, the winner of each state will take all of that states electoral votes. distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. [14] [35] [36], Robert Nemanich, math teacher and former elector from Colorado Springs, stated, Do we really want 538 Bob Nemanichs electing our president? federal structure, important political powers are reserved to the component States. Election Commissioners. System. Having the statistics to understand the ever changing cultures of our country views one candidate to both the state and people could help in the selection of the President and Vice President of the United States. nationwide, he might still end up with no Electoral College votes at all unless he won a (They dont always do so.). The recent presidential election has had a controversy on the abolishment of the Electoral College. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. Please try again. Anyone can read what you share. enough States to win the needed majority of the Electoral College. Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr. Thus, there is an incentive for Not everyone knows exactly how the president is elected. electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). 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. 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). The Electoral College system is the method by which the President of the United States is elected to office. New to netivist? Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. Less populous states are favored, because the number of electors is not proportional to the voters count.