Better Election System: Popular Vote or Electoral College?
If presidential elections were decided by popular vote instead of the Electoral College, Al Gore would have been elected president in 2000. How we choose a president profoundly impacts how campaigns are run, the importance of swing states and an election’s outcome. It’s certainly no surprise that the Electoral College vs. popular vote controversy has sparked considerable debate. As the issue surfaces heading into November, is it time to graduate from the Founding Father's Electoral College concept, or are popularity contests no way to choose a president?
Two Thirds of States Don't Matter Under Current System
- From National Popular Vote
By National Popular Vote - To Implement a Popular Election
Thank You for your Comment
We review all comments before they're posted. For more on our comment policy, please see our FAQ.
Make each vote actually count!
With the electoral college individual votes DO NOT count in a national election. If you live in a state that typically goes either Democratic or Republican, and you have a contrasting opionon, your vote is nationally worthless as it now stands. The motivation to vote is significantly lessened. On top of this, for the political party opposite that of your state’s leanings, those issues of most concern to your state, are minimized at best or ignored at worst. In fact, the state's issues can be pretty much minimized by both partiies because in a presidential election, your state is mostly ignored so that the candidates can spend the most time and effort in those “battleground” states. Therefore, there is less interest in the issues that impact your state or the individuals that live within it.
As someone whose ancestors go back to the very beginnings of this country, it is not lightly that I consider tampering with the basics that were set up by our founding fathers, but the electoral college does not function the way it was originally intended, to protect the vote from being overwelmed by the highly populated states. It has, rather, become an advantage for those states where the opinions are more equally split. Just like our primary system now gives greater clout to those early primary states (as if many of them represent a cross section view of the country!), these battle ground states now have UNFAIR advantage in the national elections. This situation is JUST as unfair as what the founding fathers feared by allowing highly populated states to have a greater clout. The only FAIR solution with our country as populated and diverse as it is, is to return the decision to the individual and have each individual's vote count equally regardless of the state in which they live. Then our president will be chosen by the people and for the interests of the people, and no longer chosen by the battleground states, for the interests of those who live in the battleground states.
- talisgeirf
October 18, 2008 11:32AM
Reply to this Recommend
(2)
Side: Popular Vote
Thank You for your Comment
We review all comments before they're posted. For more on our comment policy, please see our FAQ.
I like the Electorial College because ...
I really feel my vote would be more watered down than it is now. Basically, Chicago, New York City and other large metropolitan areas will determine the outcomes. Just take a look at those maps of the US after every Presidential election that is broken down by county. Its more RED than BLUE and it tells a story, but not necessarily the "whole" story.
What I would like to see is the electoral college changed to the following format (Presidential Election);
1. The winner of each congressional district (throughout the US) wins that Electoral College. This would negate the winner takes all as is now in most states.
2. The two Electoral College votes for US Senators (2 for each state) could either be;
a. Awarded to the candidate that has the most vote’s statewide (popular vote).
b. Awarded to the candidate that won the most congressional districts (may not necessarily be the popular vote winner).
c. Split the Electoral College votes among the top two candidates.
The problem is; The Presidential Election is a state run affair and it wouldn't work unless every state did it. Anyway, IMO it would truly represent a refection of the whole country, not just by the masses as it is now.
Would some of the elections have been changed in recent times? Dunno’, but the data is out there somewhere...
- John Q Citizen
February 20, 2009 2:07PM
Reply to this Recommend
(0)
Side: Uncommitted
Thank You for your Comment
We review all comments before they're posted. For more on our comment policy, please see our FAQ.