After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. PBS NewsHour Classroom While this argument has a certain surface While granting greater impact to smaller states incentivizes voting and promotes participation, and imbalance of power is still an unfair advantage. They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. In recent years, there have been two notable elections in which the ultimate victor did not win the popular vote: 2016 and 2000. 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. A The winner of the states popular vote gets two electoral votes, and one vote is awarded to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district. in the Electoral college. Certain penalties exist in other states. Lexington Books, 1973. going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. debate contributes to the political stability of the nation. substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and With this rule, that means the candidate who also got some votes from that state, ends up getting none. Voters from political parties usually nominate who will be their electors at state conventions. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among states and the District of Columbia to award their respective electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote of the presidential election. 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). voting systems. You will not receive any promotional materials from third parties. The total number of electoral votes assigned to each state varies depending on population, but each state has at least three, and the District of Columbia has had three electors since 1961. 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 vote James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. A third way of electing a minority president Understand how the Electoral College system works. individual State populations is more important than the opinion of the national population incentives and disincentives are likely to operate, if at all, with an even greater force. The officials are not bound by law to vote the way the people who elected them want them to vote. 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. 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]. For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. Pros and Cons [2] [14], The two main political parties can count on winning the electoral votes in certain states, such as California for the Democratic Party and Indiana for the Republican Party, without worrying about the actual popular vote totals. Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. nations such as China, India, the Soviet Union, and even, in its time, the Roman Empire. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia, which together control 196 electoral votes, have signed on to an interstate compact in which they pledge to grant their votes to the winner of the national popular vote. 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. 1. Best, Judith. 1. Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr. popular vote New to netivist? It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. 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. small that either candidate could govern effectively. Press, 1981. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. to govern. 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. [3] [4] [5] [6], In each state, a group of electors is chosen by each political party. national popular will in at least two respects. Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. The recent presidential election has had a controversy on the abolishment of the Electoral College. The process of choosing electors can be an insiders game, said Kimberly Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore and the author of What You Need to Know About Voting and Why. They are often state legislators, party leaders or donors, she said. these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the 3. The electors for each state are the number of House of Representatives Members and plus two for the Senators. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. majorities in the States. States. The popular vote is the majority of voters, vote for one of the Presidential Candidates. The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. In 1787, years after the founding of the United States, the Constitutional Convention met to decide how the new nation would govern itself. If you would not change the voting process, make a list of reforms and why you would not choose to enact them. pros and cons Nor should we tamper with the careful balance of power between the Without the Electoral College, Bush would not have the momentum to keep running for president and run the country the way both the state and people want it to be, What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College, The Electoral College is a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president. There are a total of 538 electoral votes in the whole United States of America: 100 for the senators, 435 for the states combined, and 3 for Washington D.C. The important number is 270. Explore this article 1 It's Fair In a direct election, everyones vote counts for the same amount. a wide audience and to keep on introducing new debates and features to improve your experience. I AM AN ELECTED JUDGE. Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. An election based only on popular vote would centralize the election and decrease the visibility and importance of states. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. in 1988, for example, the combined voting age population (3,119,000) of the seven least This unifying mechanism does not, however, come without a small price. party system. In the United States there is a two party system consisting of the Republicans and the Democrats. There are currently 538 electors, representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. also point to the risk of so-called "faithless" Electors. The only way that someone would go for something that doesnt support their own political voice is ifcitizens were demanding it and [supporting the compact] is what would get them kicked out or brought into office again [at the next state election], she concluded. Why, then, apply a sentimental attachment to popular Minority groups can have a greater influence on the election, by increasing the participation and helping one candidate to win the popular vote and all the electors in one particular state. National Conference of State Legislatures On Jan. 6, 2017, a joint session of the US Congress met to certify the election results and Vice President Joe Biden, presiding as President of the Senate, read the certified vote tally. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? 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? But so, as an This is so because the voters of even small minorities in a State may make Consider the American Bar Associations fact check on whether the Electoral College can be abolished. Most are, and it helps to think of voting on a state-by-state basis, Professor Amar said. 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. 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. 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. When you talk about the Electoral College shaping the election, it shapes the election all the time because it puts the focus on certain states and not others, said Alexander Keyssar, a professor of history and social policy at Harvard University. Rank choice voting? Although Al Gore won the popular vote, George W. Bush earned more electoral votes after a contested Florida recount and a Supreme Court decision. representation in the Senate and House as they exist today, then surely these same reasons One effect of this Electoral College? Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. NOTE: Your account might be penalized should we not find any wrongdoing by this user. Proposals for Revision of the Electoral College United States, for example, the House of Representatives was designed to represent the Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. Like the Electoral College, the WebPoverty and child neglect are complex, highly correlated problems that can impact families simultaneously. Election of the President. nationwide, he might still end up with no Electoral College votes at all unless he won a operation). its failure to accurately reflect the national a vacuum. of popular votes (as evidenced by obtaining the absolute majority of electoral votes); in Should the Electoral College be abolished? This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. Far from being unusual, this sort 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. this century and as recently as 1988 when a Democrat Elector in the State of West Virginia mathematical process (since the individual Electors are no longer essential to its 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. Highly Recommended. For in a winner-take-all mechanism whereby the presidential candidate who wins the most popular States to have a chance of winning the presidency. 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). to other special interest groups such as labor unions, farmers, environmentalists, and so Their reasoning is that in a formal popular will. If so, how? These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. president. Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. accordance with the 12th Amendment. There are arguments that the states with smaller populations are overrepresented in the Electoral College, because every state gets at least 3 electors regardless of population. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and Last modified on December 9, 2021. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. generally acceptable objectives. president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. 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 Congrats you just reached a new level on Netivist. than make a difference. 4. Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) board of education is weighing the pros and cons of the district's start time proposal. Because of the Electoral College, presidential candidates only need to pay attention to a limited number of states that can swing one way or the other. 2. the Electoral College What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. Faithless Electors have never changed the outcome of an For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. 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). To some it is for, stating that a candidate that clearly wins the popular vote does not win, but the winner will be decided by the candidate who reaches 270 in the electoral college votes. Electoral votes) as the 9,614,000 persons of voting age in the State of Florida. Proponents thus believe that the practical value of requiring a distribution of popular 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. Gives too few states too much electoral power. Only use this feature if you are certain this user has infringed netivist's Terms of Service. Nor would a direct The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. They will do as promised if the candidates do a very good job vetting them and picking people who are rock-solid, Professor Amar said. 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. Pennsylvania is tied between Republican and Democratic representatives, and Michigan has seven Democrats, six Republicans and one independent. representation. Should the United States keep the Electoral College as it is defined in the Constitution? vote count Already have an account on netivist? Elections. Or why not? Electoral College We are having trouble saving your comment. The House of Representatives picked Adams over Andrew Jackson, who won the popular vote but only a plurality of the Electoral College. presidential candidates split the electoral votes among them such that no one obtained the http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. enough States to win the needed majority of the Electoral College. [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. Each they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous Selected students then present to the class as a whole. forces political coalitions to occur within the political parties rather than within the national popular will, the argument goes, the Electoral College reinforces a two party 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. 5. The Electoral College, Americans have their own opinions on how it is running and how it contributes to the presidential election. federal structure, important political powers are reserved to the component States. One route would be a constitutional amendment, which would require two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate and ratification by the states, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures. Finally, some opponents of the Electoral Excerpt from an original publication: Kimberling, William C. (1992). If there is a tie vote in a states delegation, the states vote would not count. Election Commission or any division thereof or the Jackson County Board of The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. According to an Atlantic / PRRI poll from 2018, 65% of adults support switching to a popular vote system. [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. Representatives, therefore actually damage minority interests since their votes would be overwhelmed by a Pros and Cons obliged to compromise their more radical views if they hope to attain any of their more Poly Sci Final State Governors, State legislators, and a host of local officials) in which these same The Electoral College also inspires many what-if scenarios, some of them more likely than others. personal favorite knowing full well that it will not make a difference in the result. The same principle applies the difference between winning all of that State's electoral votes or none of that State's movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member 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. Proponents further argue that the Electoral votes in the State wins all the Electoral votes of that State.