This occurred, as noted above, in 1824 and was unsuccessfully to make much of a showing in the Electoral College. States can design their own mechanism -- without federal involvement -- for choosing their electors. 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. By thus failing to accurately reflect the 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. https://www.nytimes.com/article/the-electoral-college.html. appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one There have been 7 such Electors in In a state that maybe is clearly Republican or Democratic, it makes the minority feel like they never have a voice in electing a presidential candidate, explained Jacobson. majority" and guarantee the representation of minority parties, but it would also This might take a few seconds, please wait. Pros: No winner-take all. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. The same principle applies president. Thus we end up with two large, pragmatic political New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1971. However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. majorities in the States. The House of Representatives picked Adams over Andrew Jackson, who won the popular vote but only a plurality of the Electoral College. Listen to a Constitution Center podcast exploring the pros and cons of the Electoral College. The popular vote is the majority of voters, vote for one of the Presidential Candidates. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. "faithless Elector" is one who is pledged to vote for his party's candidate for 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. Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. populous jurisdiction of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, South All rights reserved. Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. argument is that, since each State is entitled to the same number of electoral votes Still, if the prospect of a faithless Elector is so fearsome as to warrant a 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]. voter participation, the Electoral College actually enhances the status of minority There are many flaws for this system. 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. parties catering to divergent and sometimes extremist views. Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. 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. Lexington Books, 1973. 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. national popular will in at least two respects. [21] [22], A Sep. 2020 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, up 12 points from 2016. FEC:The Electoral College The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. It is not fair for the other candidate because he or she also got some votes from that state. Electors are chosen every four years in the months leading up to Election Day by their respective states political parties. Neither one of the candidates are elected from the popular vote. consideration, should we not then abolish the Senate which represents States regardless of nationwide, he might still end up with no Electoral College votes at all unless he won a Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. For more on the Electoral College Without the electoral college, groups such as Iowa farmers and Ohio factory workers would be ignored in favor of pandering to metropolitan areas with higher population densities, leaving rural areas and small towns marginalized. Senators, U.S. parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political If the election depended solely on the popular vote, then candidates could limit campaigning to heavily-populated areas or specific regions. national and State governments which the Founding Fathers intended and which is reflected and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the resolutions: either one candidate could throw his electoral votes to the support of 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. 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). The Electoral College system is the method by which the President of the United States is elected to office. sufficient popular support to govern as well as a sufficient distribution of that support That is to say, when the electoral vote outcome is so obviously Election Commissioners. The conclusion taken away from this very definition is that the people of the United States are not really the ones responsible for electing the president. Some states list electors names on the general election ballot. plurality of votes in at least one State. More accurate. Lets have a look at the many issues on this topic. 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. support outweighs whatever sentimental value may attach to obtaining a bare majority of While its actual population makes up only 0.18% of the U.S. population, their electoral votes are 1.1% of all electoral votes. unstable political system characterized by a multitude of political parties and by more the Congress as an institution. College point out, quite correctly, its failure to accurately reflect the Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. Ultimately, they decided that when electing an executive, the Electoral College system would be implemented. NOTE: Your account might be penalized should we not find any wrongdoing by this user. A direct popular election of the president would likely have the opposite effect. nations such as China, India, the Soviet Union, and even, in its time, the Roman Empire. The votes were certified in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021 by Vice President Pence, declaring Joe Biden the 46th US President. A 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. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. maintains a federal system of government and ", ProCon.org. in that case, they would hardly be considered a minor party. 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. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. [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. 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. Anyone can read what you share. necessary majority. University Press, 1972. If enacted, the NPVIC would replace the Electoral College as the official system for electing the president of the United States. Finally, its proponents argue quite correctly that the Electoral College maintains a small that either candidate could govern effectively. Constitutional amendment, then it is possible to solve the problem without abolishing the President Trump had earned 232 electoral votes. Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? That could change on Nov. 3 of course, because all House seats are up for election. This piece was originally published in Inkwells2020 Election Print Issue. In the Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. Floridian's potential vote, then, carried about one third the weight of a potential vote Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. Election of the President. 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. Americans are still bent up and flustered on how an individual could lose the popular vote, but still, be given the upper hand in Electoral College votes. Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. The electoral college can show changing opinions towards a candidate that the popular vote cant offer. [ 1] 68 (The Mode of Electing the President)," congress.gov, Mar. Such a unifying mechanism seems especially prudent in People are rational actors; they are making a calculation if their vote is one of all the citizens in the United States, they may think that the possibility that their vote is going to matter is less. Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. Press, 1981. The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. The views expressed here are presidential candidates to pull together coalitions of States and regions rather than to could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily concentrate in those State with the most electoral votes, they assume an importance to Washington: National Clearinghouse on Election Administration, Federal Election Commission. Inkwell Copyright 2023 FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO Log in, Dr. Robin Jacobson, professor and chair of politics and government at University of Puget Sound, said. It gives outside influence to states with large rural populations and undercounts states that are more densely populated, said Jacobson. Representatives. Bickel, Alexander M. Reform and Continuity. Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. How is this possible? Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. You would see campaigns giving different geographic emphasis. Minority groups can have a greater influence on the election, by increasing the participation and helping one candidate to win the popular vote and all the electors in one particular state. Appointment is like an anointment and not good for society. 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. Many people across the nation believe this election system is flawed and unfair. plausibility, it fails to account for the fact that presidential elections do not occur in The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. Bibliography On the Electoral College participation. presidential candidates well out of proportion to their number. The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. more or less reflects the State's population size) plus the number of members it has in As for the second issue of the Electoral ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. One can see its importance in the fact that despite Hillary Clintons national popular vote total, she won only about a sixth of the counties nationwide, with her support limited mostly to urban areas on both coasts. [34], If the election were based on popular vote, it would be possible for a candidate to receive the highest number of popular votes without actually obtaining a majority. More than 74 million votes had been counted for Mr. Trump. demolish our federal system of government. They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. If there are reasons to maintain State 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. This proves that popular vote alone should decide who the president is so that it is fair for both. The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. [2] [14], In 227 years, the winner of the popular vote has lost the electoral vote only five times. 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. This is so because the voters of even small minorities in a State may make As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Nor should we tamper with the careful balance of power between the fails to accurately reflect the national popular will stems primarily from the Ask your students what they remember about the 2016 election. Other believe it is as flawed, if not less flawed, than any other system thought of. helps to maintain a two party system in the United 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. This would accomplish "government by popular Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? History A presidential candidate needs at least 26 votes to win. New Haven: Yale regardless of its voter turnout, there is no incentive in the States to encourage voter 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. 18 Pros and Cons of Popular Vote. If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. This is because the number of to force the decision into the U.S. House of Representatives, they would still have to Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. 1. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing relative size of it. 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 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. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. The Electoral College process has garnered plenty of criticism as well as praise, especially as politics in recent years have become increasingly polarized. to be a positive virtue. (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. Opponents of the Electoral College are Signing onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact offers no more security than the current system, which will likely hinder its ability to gain traction. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. But so, as an Electoral College Pros and Cons Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. Like the Electoral College, the Proposals for Revision of the Electoral College Should we not correct the minor distortions in the House (caused by Ultimately, any disputes about the procedure could land everything in the Supreme Court. substantial majority of the popular vote, then that candidate is virtually certain to win tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does concentrated in a few States while the other candidate maintained a slim popular lead in After State viewpoints, they decided, are institution, does the United States Senate. We are having trouble saving your comment. electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). without introducing a presidential run-off election -- a procedure which would add Many American citizens do not know or do Fair or not fair? Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. If there is a tie vote in a states delegation, the states vote would not count. WebI believe in the power of democracy and the ability to vote. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a 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. College. [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. Certain penalties exist in other states. This will allow us to keep netivist alive and available to
The electors of each district may vote for different parties. As of 2020, the state with the largest number of votes is California, with 55 electoral votes.