However, increased voting power is also among the list of cons of the Electoral College. disturbed by the possibility of electing a minority president (one without the (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. 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. 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. distributed across the States. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 Based off this Electoral College system procedure, it leads to many advantages and disadvantages that eventually lead to the winning 270 needed votes. 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. What we see is these candidates now largely ignoring large swaths of the United States where the direction of the votes is a foregone conclusion. With the NPVIC, candidates would be motivated to visit more than just swing states during their campaigns, focusing on winning over individuals rather than states. 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. A second way in which a minority president The reasoning behind why the Electoral College was the determining factor for president was declared by the founding fathers decades ago to ensure equality (Pavia, 2011). in that case, they would hardly be considered a minor party. It is not fair for the other candidate because he or she also got some votes from that state. tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does Small states only get 3 electoral votes, when really, their population, for example in Wyoming, is 584, 153. Create your account for free. FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration. contributes to the cohesiveness of the country ], ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons. Pros And Cons in the Electoral college. rural ones. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Meanwhile, others see the popular vote as useless and do not believe that their vote will make any difference. College. In 2016, for instance, Democrat Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than Trump in the presidential election, after racking up more lopsided wins in big states like New York and instead of the other way around. In other words, such a system This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. The Popular Vote Versus Electoral College Discuss. It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral 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. sets of coherent alternatives. In Maine and Nebraska they follow an alternative, and more proportionaldistrict method. Fair or not fair? Selected students then present to the class as a whole. Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. [ 1] Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. The same thing happened in 2000. Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some the Electoral College point out that is was never intended to reflect the national popular generally acceptable objectives. A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. exacerbate regional differences. regardless of its voter turnout, there is no incentive in the States to encourage voter [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. 4. Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons Please let us know! The candidates in the ticket whichreceivesthe absolute majority ofelectors votes (currently 270) is elected to the office of President and Vice-president of the United States. The will of the people is now far better expressed through the resulting popular vote than the electorate of the Electoral College. 3. But so, as an Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. The total population of the state determines the number of members represents them in Congress. Listen to a Constitution Center podcast exploring the pros and cons of the Electoral College. Still, if the prospect of a faithless Elector is so fearsome as to warrant a First, the distribution of Electoral votes in to govern. participation. If there is a tie vote in a states delegation, the states vote would not count. Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. 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. Finally, some opponents of the Electoral 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. But what about the issues of the people living in the ignored states? More than 74 million votes had been counted for Mr. Trump. Far from being unusual, this sort The Electoral College system is when the candidate that wins the popular vote for a certain state takes all the electoral votes for that state. All Rights Reserved, How 2016 put pressure on the Electoral College. parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political [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. 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 Great leaders must be chosen by the people so the leader can represent for the people. WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. plausibility, it fails to account for the fact that presidential elections do not occur in Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. WebI believe in the power of democracy and the ability to vote. 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. What do you think? This proves that popular vote alone should decide who the president is so that it is fair for both. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. more important than political minority viewpoints. We are having trouble saving your comment. choices available to the electorate. vote count For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. cast his votes for Lloyd Bensen for president and Michael Dukakis for vice president Would they like to see the system changed? Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. 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. depressing voter turnout, and. Consider the American Bar Associations fact check on whether the Electoral College can be abolished. 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. Electoral College Pros and Cons If there are reasons to maintain State Other believe it is as flawed, if not less flawed, than any other system thought of. 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). appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one Ultimately, any disputes about the procedure could land everything in the Supreme Court. [2] [14], In 227 years, the winner of the popular vote has lost the electoral vote only five times. While its actual population makes up only 0.18% of the U.S. population, their electoral votes are 1.1% of all electoral votes. are three ways in which that could happen. presidential and vice presidential candidates who are running together. And even if he managed to win a few States, his Another direct consequence of the winner-take-all system is that candidates focus more on populated swing states than on other states. In response to these arguments, proponents of popular will. 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. 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. 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. [3] [4] [5] [6], In each state, a group of electors is chosen by each political party. 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. 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. The winner of each district is awarded that districts electoral vote, and the winner of the state-wide vote is then awarded the states remaining two electoral votes. the Electoral College Excerpt from an original publication: Kimberling, William C. (1992). maintains a federal system of government and national popular majority. System. [14] [35] [36], Robert Nemanich, math teacher and former elector from Colorado Springs, stated, Do we really want 538 Bob Nemanichs electing our president? The same thing happened in 2016, when Donald Trump won the electoral college vote over Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote to Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. 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. Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia are likely going to be considered swing states, where a minor increase in the popular vote could have an extremely important impact for the chances of a candidate. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. [24], For the 2020 election, electors voted on Dec. 14, and delivered the results on Dec. 23. Representatives, In 1787, years after the founding of the United States, the Constitutional Convention met to decide how the new nation would govern itself. National Conference of State Legislatures Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Such an organization of social conflict and political The same thing happened in 2016, when Donald Trump won the electoral college vote over Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote to Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. Last modified on December 9, 2021. Bickel, Alexander M. Reform and Continuity. The group as a whole should help that student to prepare his or her argument. 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). Did you know that in 2016, Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote over Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes? 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. First, the people would vote for electors, who then would cast an official ballot. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. What relevance do they have today. small that either candidate could govern effectively. The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. 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. PBS NewsHour Classroom Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. operation). Elections, LLC 2019 All Rights Reserved, http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, the possibility of electing a minority Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? There are pros and cons to both systems. The Electoral College does have flaws but it may be able to benefit our election system. 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. more or less reflects the State's population size) plus the number of members it has in If you would not change the voting process, make a list of reforms and why you would not choose to enact them. distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the Press, 1981. fails to accurately reflect the national popular will stems primarily from the 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. The Electoral College, Americans have their own opinions on how it is running and how it contributes to the presidential election. [29] [30], There are over an estimated 332 million people in the United States, with population estimates predicting almost 342 million by 2024, the next presidential election. How Does the Electoral College Work and Al Gore had received more popular vote thanGeorge W. Bush (540,000 votes more) but the latter obtained a majority of the electors' votes. 1. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. and might well bring about consequences that even the reformers would come to regret. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/electoral-college-pros-cons-procon-org/. 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. plurality of votes in at least one State. For as things stand now, no one region contains the absolute majority (270) of No attention is paid to the smaller states because of the low electoral number, which doesnt really help the candidate win a lot. The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. electoral votes required to elect a president. 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. Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. 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. 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. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. Al Gore had received more popular vote than. 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. in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1971. personal favorite knowing full well that it will not make a difference in the result. 14, 1788, Marc Schulman, "Why the Electoral College," historycentral.com (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Melissa Kelly, "Why Did the Founding Fathers Create Electors?," 712educators.about.com, Jan. 28, 2016, Hans A. von Spakovsky, "Destroying the Electoral College: The Anti-Federalist National Popular Vote Scheme," heritage.org, Oct. 27, 2011, Richard A. Posner, "In Defense of the Electoral College," slate.com, Nov. 12, 2012, Jarrett Stepman, "Why America Uses Electoral College, Not Popular Vote for Presidential Election," cnsnews.com, Nov. 7, 2016, Gary Gregg, "Electoral College Keeps Elections Fair," politico.com, Dec. 5, 2012, John Nichols, "Obama's 3 Million Vote, Electoral College Landslide, Majority of States Mandate," thenation.com, Nov. 9, 2012, Joe Miller, "The Reason for the Electoral College," factcheck.org, Feb. 11, 2008, William C. Kimberling, "The Manner of Choosing Electors," uselectionatlas.org (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Sanford V. Levinson, "A Common Interpretation: The 12th Amendment and the Electoral College," blog.constitutioncenter.org, Nov. 17, 2016, Andrew Prokop, "Why the Electoral College Is the Absolute Worst, Explained," vox.com, Nov. 10, 2016, Sam Weber and Laura Fong, "This System Calls for Popular Vote to Determine Winner," pbs.org, Nov. 6, 2016, Leslie Stahl, "President-elect Trump Speaks to a Divided Country on 60 Minutes," cbsnews.com, Nov. 13, 2016, Lisa Lerer, "Clinton Wins Popular Vote by Nearly 2.9 Million, elections.ap.org, Dec. 22, 2016, Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell, "US Congress Certifies Trumps Electoral College Victory, reuters.com, Jan. 6, 2017, Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline," crsreports.congress.gov, Sep. 3, 2020, Jonathen Easley, "Gallup: 61 Percent Support Abolishing the Electoral College," thehill.com, Sep. 24, 2020, Fair Vote, "Past Attempts at Reform," fairvote.org (accessed Oct. 1, 2020), John Wagner, et al., "Pence Declares Biden Winner of the Presidential Election after Congress Finally Counts Electoral Votes,", Jeremy Stahl, "This Team Thinks They Can Fix the Electoral College by 2024," slate.com, Dec. 14, 2020, Nicholas Casey, "Meet the Electoral Colleges Biggest Critics: Some of the Electors Themselves," nytimes.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Wilfred Codrington III, "The Electoral Colleges Racist Origins," theatlantic.com, Nov. 17, 2019, Peniel E. Joseph, "Shut the Door on Trump by Ending the Electoral College," cnn.com, Dec. 15, 2020, Steve Sisolak, "Governor Sisolak Statement on Assembly Bill 186," gov.nv.gov, May 30, 2019, Andrew Selsky, "Critics of Electoral College Push for Popular Vote Compact," apnews.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Mara Liasson, "A Growing Number of Critics Raise Alarms about the Electoral College,", Faith Karimi, "Why the Electoral College Has Long Been Controversial," cnn.com, Oct. 10, 2020, US Census Bureau, "U.S. and World Population Clock," census.gov (accessed Dec. 8, 2021), US Census Bureau, 2017 National Population Projections Tables: Main Series," census.gov, 2017.
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