Posted on 11/08/2016 8:32:39 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The Electoral College remains in place over two centuries after the framers of the Constitution empowered it to select presidents. Though occasionally maligned, this system of electing a chief executive has been incredibly successful for the American people.
Many modern voters might be surprised to learn that when they step into a ballot box to select their candidate for president, they actually are casting a vote for fellow Americans called electors. These electors, appointed by the states, are pledged to support the presidential candidate the voters have supported. The Electoral College holds its vote the Monday after the second Wednesday in December following the election.
The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College after much debate and compromise, but it has provided stability to the process of picking presidents. Though the winner of the national popular vote typically takes the presidency, that vote failed to determine the winner in four elections: 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000.
Some see the Electoral College as a peculiar and mystifying institution that ensures only a few, select individuals will ever cast a direct vote for president in the United States. Others complain that the system rewards smaller states with more proportional power than the large ones.
Every four years, around election time, there are murmurs about revamping the system and moving toward a direct, national popular vote.
The Founders’ College
As one of The Heritage Foundations legal experts, Hans von Spakovsky, noted in a paper on the Electoral College: “In creating the basic architecture of the American government, the Founders struggled to satisfy each state’s demand for greater representation while attempting to balance popular sovereignty against the risk posed to the minority from majoritarian rule.”
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The Founders were brilliant in their works.
If one simply looks at the people who clamor to change from the electoral college to the popular vote, it makes it easy to see it must be a bad thing.
It is almost universally liberals who advocate the change. Tells you all you need to know.
Because the founder knew that you have to balance out the idiocy of the mob called “demoncracy”
The most important reason to keep the Electoral College is the simplest one. It was part of the deal for the smaller states to join the union. Break the marriage vows, break the union.
The so-called National Popular Vote movement was very loud (with help from media) during the 2000 and 2004 elections but somehow managed to live in peace with the EC in 2008 and 2012. I’m sure it had nothing to do with their enthusiasm for Barack Obama.
I can’t think of a quicker way down the drain than to have NY, Chicago, LA, SF and the Northeast Corridor cast the lion’s share of meaningful votes every 4 years.
Why? To prevent the discord and resentment experienced in states like Maryland perpetually ruled by small city districts for state elections. Which leads to them wanting secession. Yes, it has been called on from both east and west here.
The EC cold be better, though. Electoral votes should be cast based on the popular vote at the CONGRESSIONAL district level.
The EC is 538 votes; one for each REP, one for each SENATOR, and three for DC.
Cast them that way: One for the Congressional district. Then, the two that represent the Senators cast based on the net popular vote of the state. And, the three for DC? Cast them based on the popular vote.
Done.
No more metro area control of the entire state.
Here, in Ohio, the popular vote in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, along with Dayton and Toledo (sometimes) means the rest of us count for nothing.
An apportioned model as I described, and my vote become equal to a vote in the metros. And, I have a voice once again.
That’s a good point.
exactly. That’s what happened with the Brexit referendum. If there had been a kind of electoral college, this would not have happened
...
2 words that spell out why we must never switch.
Nationwide recount.
I would add - that early reporting must stop- voter suppression when East coast totals are reported with central wand west coast still voting- reporting after all polls are closed
The one argument I have against such a concept is during recounts. Seems like a losing candidate could pick and choose from congressional districts in numerous states with which to perform recounts. Other than that, it seems like a reasonable concept to implement.
bump
No. Breaking it down that far lends itself too far to gerrymandering.
One possible improvement might be a rule that no single state can comprise more than say 10% of the electoral votes needed to win, and after crossing that threshold needs to be divided. Just need a way to equitably divide it, and then make it static geographically - as the initial gerrymandering would be an issue then too.
It’s not just the general benefit to small states that the EC provides, but that it breaks much of the nation up into size able tipping point units that attention is dispersed among states and not just the high density populations.
It also keeps the number of units manageable...the 2000 election would not have been resolvable if we had to recount 70 districts individually, or the national vote as a whole.
Maybe I misunderstand, but how is this ultimately different from the popular vote?
Actually, Maryland is not helped by the E.C. at this point in time, since all 10 of its electoral votes follow the popular vote, which is solid dem. In an apportioned model, with 2 statewide votes, and 1 vote for each Congressional district, you could have at least on Trump/R vote in spite of the horrible gerrymandering.
You misunderstood my post.
Maryland ITSELF (not in federal elections) has had secession threats from east and west, exactly because east and west basically never get their way and are overruled by Baltimore. This is why electoral college is good for the country - the “small” places get their voices heard sometimes. Not within Maryland (and not in any state, to my knowledge).
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