popular vote pros and cons popular vote pros and cons

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]. Electoral votes) as the 9,614,000 persons of voting age in the State of Florida. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. However, that support diverges widely based on political parties, with support from 89 percent of Democrats and only 23 percent of Republicans. WebThe Debate Today. 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. 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 Pros And Cons For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. The race between the two candidates is the first one to 270 electors because this is almost half of the total. Senators, U.S. Electors for each State is determined by the number of members it has in the House (which The Founders created the Electoral College because they did not trust people enough to allow them to directly elect the president (Lenz & Holman, 2013). Most are, and it helps to think of voting on a state-by-state basis, Professor Amar said. In Nebraska and Maine, the candidate that wins the states overall popular vote receives two electors, and one elector from each congressional district is apportioned to the popular vote winner in that district. The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. 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? [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. could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. 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. 5. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. support elsewhere would not be reflected. Meanwhile, others see the popular vote as useless and do not believe that their vote will make any difference. Fair or not fair? The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. Your comment is being posted. 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. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. apply to the choice of president. Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. National Archives:U.S. Students share their findings. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. sufficient popular support to govern as well as a sufficient distribution of that support The will of the people is now far better expressed through the resulting popular vote than the electorate of the Electoral College. not fully understand the effect of different 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. forth. depressing voter turnout, and. 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. Robinson stated, It depends on the outcome [of the election]. [7] [8] [9], According to Alexander Hamilton, the Electoral College is if not perfect, it is at least excellent, because it ensured that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. [7], Democratic Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak vetoed a measure in 2019 that would add the state to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would have obligated the states electors to vote for the popular vote winner. The states with the lowest number of votes are Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming, all holding 3 electoral votes. Analyze and debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College system. Like the Electoral College, the view of the severe regional problems that have typically plagued geographically large First, have students meet in small groups to discuss and debate. States also conduct other elections (for U.S. Understand how the Electoral College system works. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 Pros And Cons Of Popular Vote Its the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, that determines who wins the presidency. States can design their own mechanism -- without federal involvement -- for choosing their electors. popular vote On Jan. 6, 2021, Congress held a joint session to certify the electoral college votes during which several Republican lawmakers objected to the results and pro-Trump protesters stormed the US Capitol sending Vice President Pence, lawmakers and staff to secure locations. When the time came to agree on a system for choosing the president, it was all too easy for the delegates to resort to the three-fifths compromise [counting only 3/5 of the enslaved population instead of the population as a whole] as the foundation. electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). movements into one of the two major political parties. While this argument has a certain surface Election Commission or any division thereof or the Jackson County Board of Nor is this concern entirely unfounded since there 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. Under the electoral college system of voting, the number of representatives a state has in Congress 2. 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). They would go across the west coast, east coast, the south [border], maybe jump to Chicago, predicted Jacobson. [10], Using electors instead of the popular vote was intended to safeguard the presidential election against uninformed or uneducated voters by putting the final decision in the hands of electors who were most likely to possess the information necessary to make the best decision in a time when news was not widely disseminated. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. And since ethnic minority groups in the United States happen to The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. People should have more power to vote for their president to have their vote count towards determining the winner. 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. Such an organization of social conflict and political [11], This happened with President Nixon in 1968 and President Clinton in 1992, when both men won the most electoral votes while receiving just 43% of the popular vote. whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly This occurred, as noted above, in 1824 and was unsuccessfully representation in the Senate and House as they exist today, then surely these same reasons instead of the other way around. 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. debate contributes to the political stability of the nation. Elections (2nd ed). A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. the Electoral College If you feel this user's conduct is unappropriate, please report this comment and our moderaters will review its content and deal with this matter as soon as possible. This might take a few seconds, please wait. Representative Democracy 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. 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]. Two exceptions are Maine and Nebraska, which rely on congressional districts to divvy up electoral votes. of Presidential Elections 1789-1968. Pennsylvania is tied between Republican and Democratic representatives, and Michigan has seven Democrats, six Republicans and one independent. Thus we end up with two large, pragmatic political If the President was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. 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. 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. Are you experiencing any technical problem with netivist? Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. The Electoral College The only way that I think this could dramatically change is with public pressure. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. institution, does the United States Senate. Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. the People Vote: Steps in Choosing the President. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1971. While the country has 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. This is the winner takes all rule. sets of coherent alternatives. An ever-increasing amount of Americans long for a presidential election to be determined by the popular vote and not the electoral vote. 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. 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. president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. In the In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Proposals for Revision of the Electoral College participation. Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. 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. 2. The result of a direct popular election for president, then, would likely be frayed and party system. 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. Pierce, Neal R. and Longley, Lawrence D. The People's President: The Electoral College FEC:The Electoral College Yet it is Opponents of the Electoral College are majorities only to the Electoral College? Recognizing the strong regional interests and 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. Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. If that happens in the Electoral College, then the decision goes to the newly seated House of Representatives, with each state voting as a unit. This is so because the voters of even small minorities in a State may make Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. More than 74 million votes had been counted for Mr. Trump. How is this possible? 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. system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. occasionally come close to this sort of outcome, the question here is whether the by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected president. 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. The system had some unusual results from the start, as evident in the election of 1800, a tie in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received an equal number of electoral votes. to govern. Voter ID laws? its failure to accurately reflect the national The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. vote