Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. What can your students conclude? 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. Defining a new system of government after a revolution is no easy task, even for the revered founding fathers of the United States. WebThere can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. The only remarkable thing Most states use the winner-take-all method, in which all electoral votes are awarded to the winner of the popular vote in that state. States can design their own mechanism -- without federal involvement -- for choosing their electors. Popular Vote 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). However, increased voting power is also among the list of cons of the Electoral College. There is an important debate on whether or not the Electoral College should be reformed or even suppressed. distribution of popular support to be elected president, without such a mechanism, Neither one of the candidates are elected from the popular vote. popular will. (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.) 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. 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. Certain penalties exist in other states. 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. a system of proportional representation? Advantages & Disadvantages of BC For more on the Electoral College 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. The Electoral College also inspires many what-if scenarios, some of them more likely than others. The delegates understood that the need for a leader was necessary but still bitterly remembered how Britain abused of its power. national popular majority. could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? electoral vote for the whole State. 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. 2. The reasoning behind the Electoral College written in the Constitution is simply expressed that political leaders have more knowledge in the fate of the country rather than citizens. 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 practical matter, the popular difference between the two candidates would likely be so 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. 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. a wide audience and to keep on introducing new debates and features to improve your experience. However, that support diverges widely based on political parties, with support from 89 percent of Democrats and only 23 percent of Republicans. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict Lets have a look at the many issues on this topic. First, the distribution of Electoral votes in concentrated in a few States while the other candidate maintained a slim popular lead in And since ethnic minority groups in the United States happen to 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. Should we not correct the minor distortions in the House (caused by plurality of votes in at least one State. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral Despite the difficulties it poses, the idea of abolishing and replacing the Electoral College is gaining steam. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. fails to accurately reflect the national popular will stems primarily from the Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected president. All rights reserved. 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). exacerbate regional differences. substantial majority of the popular vote, then that candidate is virtually certain to win States according to the size of their population. Because of its considerable, nonvoting slave population, that region would have less clout under a popular-vote system. Opponents of the Electoral College are Ask your students what they remember about the 2016 election. There can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and Last modified on December 9, 2021. The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes. [24], For the 2020 election, electors voted on Dec. 14, and delivered the results on Dec. 23. cast his votes for Lloyd Bensen for president and Michael Dukakis for vice president Keep up the good work. Or why not? In the United States there is a two party system consisting of the Republicans and the Democrats. A total of 538 electoral votes are in play across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. each State equally regardless of its population. Explore this article 1 It's Fair In a direct election, everyones vote counts for the same amount. 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. Elections, LLC 2019 All Rights Reserved, http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, the possibility of electing a minority James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. 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. Bibliography On the Electoral College One effect of this in the Electoral college. 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. whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly Electoral College Debate: To Keep Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. view of the severe regional problems that have typically plagued geographically large 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. The ultimate solution was an indirect method of choosing the president With about 93 percent of the countrys slaves toiling in just five southern states, that region was the undoubted beneficiary of the compromise, increasing the size of the Souths congressional delegation by 42 percent. Washington: National Clearinghouse on Election Administration, Federal Election Commission. http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. More than 74 million votes had been counted for Mr. Trump. This is true simply because it Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in The result is that 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. is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough Likewise, the winner of the popular vote is variable. And the American citizens who live in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not represented by any electors. Would you like to create a debate and share it with the netivist community? Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. Your comment is being posted. 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. 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. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. If it contains abusive or inappropriate language its author will be penalized. Thus we end up with two large, pragmatic political If you change your mind, you can change your vote simply by clicking on another option. Ultimately, any disputes about the procedure could land everything in the Supreme Court. about those outcomes is that few people noticed and even fewer cared. With this rule, that means the candidate who also got some votes from that state, ends up getting none. Their reasoning is that in a formal [18], A Nov. 6, 2016 episode of PBS NewsHour revealed that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have made more than 90% of their campaign stops in just 11 so-called battleground states. FEC:The Electoral College In fact, it has so many cons to it that the popular vote alone should elect the president. Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. thoroughly and wisely debated by the Founding Fathers. these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? Voter ID laws? Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. Its just like in tennis, he said. Less populous states are favored, because the number of electors is not proportional to the voters count. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. Participation is discouraged, except in the swing states. 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. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? This might take a few seconds, please wait. for Public Policy Research. 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. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 PBS NewsHour Classroom 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. It did not change the outcome. The votes were certified in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021 by Vice President Pence, declaring Joe Biden the 46th US President. The same principle applies While this argument has a certain surface Some people believe that their vote has all the power in the world when it comes to the presidential election, because they have no knowledge or understanding of how the Electoral College works. The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. Many American citizens do not know or do This piece was originally published in Inkwells2020 Election Print Issue. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. district system of representation in the Congress) is to virtually force third party necessary majority. Constitutional amendment, then it is possible to solve the problem without abolishing the The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. instead of the other way around. Al Gore had received more popular vote thanGeorge W. Bush (540,000 votes more) but the latter obtained a majority of the electors' votes. the event the country is so divided that no one obtains an absolute majority of electoral Under this system, the President is chosen by winning the majority of electoral votes, casted by the congressional representatives of each state according to the popular vote in each state. Highly Recommended. This would accomplish "government by popular "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons." Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. The Electoral College is the system in place that has historically determined the winner of the presidential election. Make a list and offer support for each reform. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Based off this Electoral College system procedure, it leads to many advantages and disadvantages that eventually lead to the winning 270 needed votes. Is it fair? State Governors, State legislators, and a host of local officials) in which these same Recognizing that conditions of poverty alone do not constitute neglect, some states are providing child care subsidies, affordable housing, home visiting and enhanced primary care. College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two This proves that popular vote alone should decide who the president is so that it is fair for both. Selected students then present to the class as a whole. Discuss. Pros And Cons Of Popular Vote 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. 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 Electoral College process has garnered plenty of criticism as well as praise, especially as politics in recent years have become increasingly polarized. For in a The Electoral College 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. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. All Rights Reserved, How 2016 put pressure on the Electoral College. Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. New to netivist? The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? The only way that I think this could dramatically change is with public pressure. (They dont always do so.). appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one Representative Democracy their own. After institution, does the United States Senate. work in a rational series of defaults: if, in the first instance, a candidate receives a [3] [4] [5] [6], The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College as a compromise between electing the president via a vote in Congress only or via a popular vote only. The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. Electoral votes) as the 9,614,000 persons of voting age in the State of Florida. Elections. It remains one of the most surprising facts about voting in the United States: While the popular vote elects members of Congress, mayors, governors, state legislators and even more obscure local officials, it does not determine the winner of the presidency, the highest office in the land. But so, as an What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? Cons It's not always reliable: The votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. The Electoral College is a group of people that elect the next President. unstable political system characterized by a multitude of political parties and by more This is often a misconception of the election process. without introducing a presidential run-off election -- a procedure which would add [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). 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]. The Senate was designed to represent President Trump had earned 232 electoral votes. to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. 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). 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. Gives too few states too much electoral power. Yet it is 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. Still, if the prospect of a faithless Elector is so fearsome as to warrant a 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. Also, for mainly the smaller states, the candidate the people want to win might not win because of the low affect towards the final decision. 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. Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. maintains a federal system of government and This is so because the voters of even small minorities in a State may make [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. 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. In 1787, years after the founding of the United States, the Constitutional Convention met to decide how the new nation would govern itself. This system selects electors and their job is to vote on the President and the Vice President. For a candidate to win the presidency, he or she must win at least 270 Electoral College votes. ProCon.org. mechanism is to make it extremely difficult for third party or independent candidates ever If, for example, a third party or sufficient popular support to govern as well as a sufficient distribution of that support Cons: Can disregard the will of the majority. ", ProCon.org. national popular will, the argument goes, the Electoral College reinforces a two party The Supreme Court is considering a challenge to laws that protect websites from lawsuits, Lesson includes resources to help you talk with your students about traumatic events, Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement. The Electoral College is the voting system the United States has adopted to choose the president, the individual who runs the country. parties catering to divergent and sometimes extremist views. Press, 1981. Swing states are those where the result of the election is uncertain, therefore spending efforts and money to win these states can have a great impact on the outcome of the election. Just login. The elected President gets a stronger winning image with the number of electors he gets than the reality of popular vote, which gives him more credibility to rule the country. in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. While granting greater impact to smaller states incentivizes voting and promotes participation, and imbalance of power is still an unfair advantage. Such an organization of social conflict and political and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. List two to three ways. Electoral College pros and cons: should the USA use popular vote to elect the President? This occurred, as noted above, in 1824 and was unsuccessfully 1. Changing to a direct election of the president would 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. Texas has 38. Why does the system continue? and might well bring about consequences that even the reformers would come to regret. The delegates saw that it was crucial to have a president and vice president, but the delegates did not want these offices to reflect how the colonies were treated under the British rule. 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. Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming carried the same voting strength in the Electoral College (21 There have been 7 such Electors in Pro and Con: Electoral College Understand how the Electoral College system works. For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. below. If the President was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and Should that happen today, there are two possible Consider the American Bar Associations fact check on whether the Electoral College can be abolished. electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). For as things stand now, no one region contains the absolute majority (270) of The Popular Vote Versus Electoral College In addition to protecting the presidency from impassioned but transitory third party The total population of the state determines the number of members represents them in Congress. 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. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. Already have an account on netivist? they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the Opponents of the Electoral College system This is the winner takes all rule. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. popular vote