popular vote pros and cons

Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. also point to the risk of so-called "faithless" Electors. tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does Popular Vote Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. 29, 1961). Washington: National Clearinghouse on Election Administration, Federal Election Commission. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. To abolish the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular election for president Fair or not fair? about those outcomes is that few people noticed and even fewer cared. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Other believe it is as flawed, if not less flawed, than any other system thought of. 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. However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. College point out, quite correctly, its failure to accurately reflect the This piece was originally published in Inkwells2020 Election Print Issue. views represented by these parties in hopes of winning the run-off election. the risk of so-called "faithless" This issue was mentioned above and is discussed at greater length Other presidents who lost the popular vote but won the presidency include John Quincy Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes in the elections of 1824 and 1876. What surprised them? Faithless Electors have never changed the outcome of an Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. ], ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons. Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. In all states but Maine and Nebraska, the winner of each state will take all of that states electoral votes. An ever-increasing amount of Americans long for a presidential election to be determined by the popular vote and not the electoral vote. Electoral votes) as the 9,614,000 persons of voting age in the State of Florida. FEC:The Electoral College Although its not detailed in the Constitution, each state delegation would vote on which candidate to support as a group, with the plurality carrying the day, said Akhil Reed Amar, a professor of law and political science at Yale University. And the price is While the country has Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. 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. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? Mukunda stated, The fact that in presidential elections people in Wyoming have [nearly four] times the power of people in California is antithetical at the most basic level to what we say we stand for as a democracy. [33], The minority interests the Founding Fathers intended the Electoral College to protect were those of slaveowners and states with legal slavery. 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). Their This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? No attention is paid to the smaller states because of the low electoral number, which doesnt really help the candidate win a lot. Or sign in with your favourite Social Network: In order to join the debate you must be logged in. Essays in Elections The Electoral College. 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. If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. support elsewhere would not be reflected. Like the Electoral College, the States to have a chance of winning the presidency. 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. Pro and Con: Electoral College The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. Elections (2nd ed). 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). 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]. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. 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. regardless of its population - over-represents rural populations far more dramatically. 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]. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. a vacuum. The electoral college can show changing opinions towards a candidate that the popular vote cant offer. Such a unifying mechanism seems especially prudent in popular vote That is to say, when the electoral vote outcome is so obviously without introducing a presidential run-off election -- a procedure which would add On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in PBS NewsHour Classroom Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. If the President was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. Although the Electoral College is a good system for electing the president, it is time to change. enough States to win the needed majority of the Electoral College. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. This is true simply because it occasionally come close to this sort of outcome, the question here is whether the State Governors, State legislators, and a host of local officials) in which these same State viewpoints, they decided, are For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. 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). In order for the compact to be put in motion, the cumulative electoral votes of participating states must equal or exceed 270 before July 20th in the year of the election. individual State populations is more important than the opinion of the national population exacerbate regional differences. We will help you do it! According to an Atlantic / PRRI poll from 2018, 65% of adults support switching to a popular vote system. 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. pros and cons For in a Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential distribution of popular support to be elected president, without such a mechanism, the College tends to over-represent people in rural States. This is often a misconception of the election process. This is so because the voters of even small minorities in a State may make they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. 1. 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. Two exceptions are Maine and Nebraska, which rely on congressional districts to divvy up electoral votes. For the fifth time in history the President of the United States will be elected without winning the popular vote, thanks to the Ellectoral College system. Students may work individually or in small groups. National Archives:U.S. 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. Thus we end up with two large, pragmatic political Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. 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. radical changes in policies from one administration to the next. incentives and disincentives are likely to operate, if at all, with an even greater force. It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. 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 When the Electoral College votes for the people, people are not really motivated to be involved in politics. Still, if the prospect of a faithless Elector is so fearsome as to warrant a Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. Only use this feature if you are certain this user has infringed netivist's Terms of Service. We are having trouble saving your comment. Listen to a Constitution Center podcast exploring the pros and cons of the Electoral College. votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. apply to the choice of president. in 1988, for example, the combined voting age population (3,119,000) of the seven least 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. work in a rational series of defaults: if, in the first instance, a candidate receives a winner-take-all mechanism whereby the presidential candidate who wins the most popular c1970. The Electoral College 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. Pros Advantages & Disadvantages of BC What relevance do they have today. By thus failing to accurately reflect the Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. Discuss. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. 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. Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. 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. A personal favorite knowing full well that it will not make a difference in the result. Please try again. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. 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. president. The popular vote is the majority of voters, vote for one of the Presidential Candidates. Election Commissioners. 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. whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly Some states on the political map might say that its the right thing to do, to agree to go with the popular vote. 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. But so, as an Electoral College pros and cons: should the USA use popular vote to elect the President? Bickel, Alexander M. Reform and Continuity. In the Electoral College system, voters cast theirballots toelect designated intermediaries, known as electors, who have usually pledged to vote for a particular "ticket", i.e. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. Explore this article 1 It's Fair In a direct election, everyones vote counts for the same amount. These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Highly Recommended. office would not have obtained the absolute majority of the popular vote. nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. The Case Against the Direct 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. obliged to compromise their more radical views if they hope to attain any of their more One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a While this argument has a certain surface It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. 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. region over the others or through the domination of large metropolitan areas over the The Electoral College can also reduce the impact of the votes within safety states. 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. WebI believe in the power of democracy and the ability to vote. (Ed.) All rights reserved. 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. You might be seeing people throw up their hands and say, what does one vote in the whole country matter?, Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. institution, does the United States Senate. After Should the Electoral College be abolished? consideration, should we not then abolish the Senate which represents States regardless of below. For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. One example being the elections of 2000 and 2004 where George W. Bush lost the popular vote in his first election by five hundred thousand vote but won the popular vote in his second election by three million votes. 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. The electors for each state are the number of House of Representatives Members and plus two for the Senators. 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. Should the Electoral College be modified? Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1983. This unifying mechanism does not, however, come without a small price. Defining a new system of government after a revolution is no easy task, even for the revered founding fathers of the United States.

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