As I write this article, there are about 60 some odd days until the presidential election. The candidates, as they were four years ago, are old, deeply flawed, diametrically opposed dudes that probably wont live long enough to see the next four years anyway. I will still vote as I hope every eligible voter will. I do this with the knowledge thatfor me and half of the people living in a majority of statesour votes will not matter. The simple reasoning being the system used to elect the president.
Yes, this is an article talking about the flawed system known as the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a system that depresses voter turnout, has elected 5 presidents who lost the popular vote, and whose creation was, at least in part, a compromise to give slave states more influence in the election of the president. This article is about the flaws in the system, but I will not advocate for its abolition. Instead, I want to offer a view of reform, of working within the current system to align it to our modern needs. I think the Electoral College could work better; it would certainly be imperfect and could still lead to a president being elected over the will of the people, but it could be astronomically better than what we have now.
So the first thing to understand is how it works. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, when people go to the polls or mail in their ballots, their votes will be collected, counted and certified, but no candidate will be awarded any electoral votes, as the people did not vote for a president, but rather electors who promise to vote for the president when the time comes. A month later on Monday, December 14th, the electors who were voted for by the people to cast their vote for their pledged candidate, will do so. Each state gets as many electoral votes as it has people in Congress (number of representatives, plus two senators), so California, for example, has 55 electoral votes (53 representatives, plus two senators), Louisiana has eight electoral votes (six representatives, plus two senators) and Vermont has three electoral votes (one representative, plus two senators). Each state, no matter how small, is entitled to three electoral votes, giving them unequal influence, since they often have more votes than they should.
Electors are often elected from their state in a winner-takes-all contest, meaning that whatever pledged candidate gets the most not necessarily a majority of popular votes gets all of that states electoral votes. Utah, for example, had a three-way contest in 2016. Donald Trump received only 46 percent of the vote, while Hillary Clinton received 27 percent and Evan McMullin received 22 percent. Even though 54 percent of the state voted against him, Trump still received all of the electoral votes, because he got a plurality of the popular vote.
This system has enabled 5 presidents to be elected despite a majority of the country voting against them; it happened in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016. Of those five, four that were elected this way were Republicans.
So how do we fix this? Many Electoral College apologists defend the system by stating that the Founding Fathers wanted the election of the president a step removed from the people so that a democratic mob would not install a populist demagogue, and an elite group could decide against the wishes of the people for their own good. While that is indeed what the Founding Fathers wanted, I need only point out that Donald Trump is the current President of the United States to show that is not how the Electoral College works in practice. I would also point out that electors are often not free to choose who they think should be president they are bound by state law, punishable by fines if they do not vote in accordance with how the people voted. The Supreme Court case Chiafalo v. Washington unanimously declared, Article II and the Twelfth Amendment give States broad power over electors, and give electors themselves no rights. Electors merely serve as conduits rather than decision-makers. But the Electoral College is the system that the Founding Fathers wanted, so it is the system I will work with.
The change that I think would alleviate most of these problems would be changing from a winner-takes-all system to a proportional system. This would mean that electoral votes would be allocated based upon the percentage each candidate received in each states popular vote. Sticking with the Utah example, Trump would have received three electoral votes, Clinton two and McMullin one. Or take California, a state where 30 percent of the population voted for Trump, yet where he received no electoral votes. Under this improved Electoral College, Clinton would get 34 electoral votes, Trump would get 17, Gary Johnson would get two and Jill Stein and Bernie Sanders would get one each. More peoples votes would actually go to who they wanted.
In addition to this, Electoral College votes should be based on the number of representatives alone, not coupled with the number of senators. This is because small states under the current system have bloated influence in the electoral college, due to them receiving more electoral votes than their populations alone would otherwise allow. Each electoral vote in Wyoming represents about 193,000 people, whereas in California each electoral vote represents about 718,000 people, meaning that each Wyoming electoral vote is 37 times more influential than Californias. How can we call ourselves democratic, when a central tenet of democracy is the principle of one man, one vote? Apologists again will say that the Electoral College exists so as to protect small states from having policy affecting them being dictated only from big states. But should the converse not also be true? Why should a large state like California be subject to the will of a state whose population is 682 times less than its own?
Proportional allocation of electoral votes also hurts our current two-party system as third parties are actually able to influence the election. Under this system, I no doubt think that contested presidential elections would be more likely to occur, thus throwing the election to the House of Representatives per the Twelfth Amendment. Here too I would change the system a bit. Currently, if a presidential election is thrown into the House, then a candidate needs to win an absolute majority of votes in order to win. The catch is that each state only gets one vote. Although there are 435 representatives, each states delegation would only get one vote, meaning a candidate would need 26 states in order to win. A more fair system would be that each representative themselves would vote for president, not the delegation as a whole. Under this system, a contested election would require a candidate receiving 218 votes an absolute majority of the total number of representatives in order to become president.
I do not think any one system is perfect, but some do work better than others. The changes I have proposed here would make the United States elections fairer, encourage participation and dismantle the harmful two-party system, but they will be unbelievably hard to implement as everything I have mentioned will require one or several constitutional amendments in order for states, electors and Congress to comply. I do not propose we rid ourselves of the Electoral College, but it must be changed to suit our current needs and ideals.
Original post:
The Electoral College does not have to be eliminated, but it must be fixed - The Vermilion
- The Pro-Slavery Lobby: The Abolition of Slavery Project - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- Campaign for the Abolition of Terrier Work - Badger Baiting - December 10th, 2016 [December 10th, 2016]
- Trump's Big Lie About 3 Million "Alien Voters" Cuts Far Deeper Than You Think - Truth-Out - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- High time for states to invest in alternatives to migrant detention - ReliefWeb - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Industry calls for better cooperation from TWU on safety for truckies - ABC Online - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Indian Govt's Abolition of FIPB Will Help Spur Up Foreign Investments - Entrepreneur - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Donald Trump 'taking steps to abolish Environmental Protection Agency' - The Guardian - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Indian sex worker groups slam global conference on abolition of ... - Reuters - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Mayoral candidate calls for abolition of Cleveland Police - Hartlepool Mail - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Exploiting black labor after the abolition of slavery - Baraboo News Republic - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Justice Ginsburg Backs Abolition Of The Electoral College - Daily Caller - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Mrs. Clinton Is Not the Future - National Review - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Commissioner hits back at Mayoral candidate's call for abolition of ... - The Northern Echo (registration) - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Judicial review is government at work - The Independent Florida Alligator - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Did Darwin's theories on evolution encourage abolition of slavery? - Washington Post - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Italy sets up fast-track asylum courts for migrants - The Local Italy - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Pope Francis on death penalty - Philippine Star - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- The Abolition of Man - Wikipedia - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Justice Ginsburg Expresses Concern About Anti-Immigrant Sentiment - Daily Caller - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Protests as Iowa considers its own 'Scott Walker bill' - Washington Examiner - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- 'What Is My Future After This?' - Human Rights Watch - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Might mandatory retirement come back with 70 as the new 65? - The Globe and Mail - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- A People's Globalism: Notes Toward a New Left Internationalism - The Nation. - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- County To Apply for Grant for I.V. Community Center | The Daily Nexus - Daily Nexus - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Another Body Blow to the Trump White House as Labor Pick Withdraws - Yahoo News - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- The myth of the alpha leader is destroying our relationshipsat work and at home - Quartz - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Equalities Secretary to seek UK assurances over benefits after ... - AOL Money UK - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- My Turn: Make no mistake President Trump is the enemy - Concord Monitor - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- The redeeming chaos of a bull in the government china shop - Charleston Post Courier - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Govt mulls abolition of parallel degree programs in public varsities ... - Capital FM Kenya (press release) (blog) - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Westminster warned against benefits 'claw back' once 'bedroom tax' abolished in Scotland - Scottish Housing News - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Fighting voter ID laws in the courts isn't enough. We need boots on the ground - Los Angeles Times - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Manchester's transformation over the past 25 years: why we need a reset of city region policy - EUROPP - European Politics and Policy (blog) - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- UK's 'lower-ranked' universities take non-EU students hit - Times Higher Education (THE) - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Age Action calls on TDs to back Bill abolishing mandatory retirement ... - BreakingNews.ie - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Labor won't fight any Fair Work Commission decision to cut Sunday penalty rates: Bill Shorten - Great Lakes Advocate - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Molly McGrath: Fight ID laws one voter at a time - Virginian-Pilot - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Jim Goetsch: Abolition of abortions means changing the way we think - The Union of Grass Valley - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- New York dockers' union calls for abolition of crime-busting ... - The Loadstar - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Frederick Douglass Park: We're Fixing Our Typo! - Nashville Scene - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Abolishing provincial championships only way to cure fixture ... - Irish Independent - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- 'Retirement should be an option' - plan to abolish retirement age welcomed - thejournal.ie - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Labor won't fight any Fair Work Commission decision to cut Sunday penalty rates: Bill Shorten - Western Advocate - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Committee expected to recommend 100m water charges refunds to those who have paid up - Irish Independent - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Sinn Fein attacks schools minister over plan to merge two transfer tests - Belfast Telegraph - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- 'As a lecturer in the 1980s, I kept my sexual orientation to myself' - Times Higher Education (THE) - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Dutch Elections: 'Anti-Racist' Party Will Ban 'Black Pete' Traditional Children's Character - Breitbart News - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Molly J. McGrath: Fight ID laws one voter at a time - Herald & Review - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Coveney says he will not legislate for water charges abolition as it would be illegal - thejournal.ie - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Taoiseach refuses to back down on water - Newstalk 106-108 fm - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Crackdown looms for work-related tax deductions - Whitsunday Times - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- We are sick of being told what to do, says Freddie Forsyth - Express.co.uk - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Corruption: Abolish security votes, peg minimum wage at N50,000 Ekweremadu - Vanguard - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Religious bodies misguided - Trinidad & Tobago Express - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- *M*A*S*H star speaks out against death penalty - Seacoastonline.com - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Immigration under capitalism: Life and death along the US-Mexico border - World Socialist Web Site - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- 'MARCH 4 TRUMP': About 100 demonstrators gather at Kentucky Capitol - Hopkinsville Kentucky New Era - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Abolition Of Work | Prometheism.net - Part 7 - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Marc Lamont Hill's one-sided view of racism in the Middle East - Jerusalem Post Israel News (blog) - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Close-Up: Ava DuVernay - Varsity Online - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- OPINION: Grammar knows best - NW Evening Mail - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Women worldwide skip work to protest pay gap, abortion laws and Donald Trump on International Women's Day - Mirror.co.uk - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Self-employed hit by national insurance hike in budget - The Guardian - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- How Republicans Might Fudge the Numbers to Make Their Health Care Bill Seem Less Irresponsible - New York Magazine - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- Who's who in Dutch politics - SBS - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- Pauline Hanson still a work in progress after all these years - The Australian Financial Review - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific - World Socialist Web Site - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Junior Culture Minister calls Phagwah Festival of Lights - Demerara Waves - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Tory backbenchers warn over 'death tax' probate fees hike announced in Budget - AOL UK - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- With govt notification, orderly system finally out - Times of India - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- The tax hike for the self-employed isn't actually going to happen - The Independent - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Globalization Is Just a Contemporary Word for Financial Colonialism - Truth-Out - March 12th, 2017 [March 12th, 2017]
- Gordon Robinson | Taxed up the ass - Jamaica Gleaner - March 12th, 2017 [March 12th, 2017]
- President Trump needs to score some legislative wins - The Desert Sun - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- The Quietus | Features | Craft/Work | Colouring Out: Queer British Art ... - The Quietus - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- European Parliament vote doesn't mean abolition of visas yet - Poroshenko - Interfax - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Why The Tories Are Not My Cuppa - HuffPost UK - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Why Is Sex Work Not Seen As Work? Part 1 - Feminism in India (blog) - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- NYC college offers Abolition of Whiteness course - My9NJ - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- New York public college offering course called 'Abolition of Whiteness' - Fox News - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]