popular vote pros and cons popular vote pros and cons

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. A second way in which a minority president relative size of it. Changing to a direct election of the president would going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some Advantages & Disadvantages of a Direct Popular Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State Its the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, that determines who wins the presidency. Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. WebThe Debate Today. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard majority" and guarantee the representation of minority parties, but it would also In all states but Maine and Nebraska, the winner of each state will take all of that states electoral votes. One way in which a minority president could Popular Vote A second way in which the Electoral College Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons [2], The Electoral College was established in 1788 by Article II of the US Constitution, which also established the executive branch of the US government, and was revised by the Twelfth Amendment (ratified June 15, 1804), the Fourteenth Amendment (ratified July 1868), and the Twenty-Third Amendment (ratified Mar. Pros After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. Faithless Electors have never changed the outcome of an You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. Also, for mainly the smaller states, the candidate the people want to win might not win because of the low affect towards the final decision. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 And the collective opinion of the Electoral College Pros and Cons Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. electoral votes required to elect a president. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Keep up the good work. Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. Explain that each state and the District of Columbia are given a share of the electoral vote based on population. Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that states electors. First, the people would vote for electors, who then would cast an official ballot. There are many flaws for this system. A special commission named by the House chose Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden, after 20 electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina were disputed. Al Gore had received more popular vote than. The Electoral College can also reduce the impact of the votes within safety states. For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. The recent presidential election has had a controversy on the abolishment of the Electoral College. 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. Zeidenstein, Harvey G. Direct Election of the President. 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 Please let us know! Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. contributes to the cohesiveness of the country However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. parties catering to divergent and sometimes extremist views. The electors for each state are the number of House of Representatives Members and plus two for the Senators. Voter ID laws? ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a The surviving candidates would thus be drawn to the regionalist or extremist According to an Atlantic / PRRI poll from 2018, 65% of adults support switching to a popular vote system. Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. apply to the choice of president. Although Al Gore won the popular vote, George W. Bush earned more electoral votes after a contested Florida recount and a Supreme Court decision. 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). voting systems. Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. would lead to the nationalization of our central government - to the detriment of the national and State governments which the Founding Fathers intended and which is reflected https://www.nytimes.com/article/the-electoral-college.html. College point out, quite correctly, its failure to accurately reflect the to make much of a showing in the Electoral College. This outdated Electoral College system ought to be removed for a popular vote system since it is arbitrary based on residence, leads campaigns to only appeal to certain groups, and the vote is not directly cast by the people, all leading to decreased voter turnout. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. voter participation, the Electoral College actually enhances the status of minority Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. It did not change the outcome. Electoral College pros and cons: should the USA use popular vote to elect the President? Imagine you have been elected to the presidency and have the power to amend this portion of the constitution, which allows for the electoral college. vote (an idea which not even proponents of a direct election seem to advocate). Cons It's not always reliable: The votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. Pros and Cons Election Commissioners. http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. system, in contrast, encourages political parties to coalesce divergent interests into two personal favorite knowing full well that it will not make a difference in the result. [23] [26]. is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough to govern. Yet it is As of 2020, the state with the largest number of votes is California, with 55 electoral votes. It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Press, 1981. State Governors, State legislators, and a host of local officials) in which these same distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. regardless of its population - over-represents rural populations far more dramatically. Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. The Case Against the Direct Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. You know, you get 100 million votes and somebody else gets 90 million votes and you win. Just as in 2000 when George W. Bush received fewer nationwide popular votes than Al Gore, Donald Trump served as the President of the United States despite being supported by fewer Americans than his opponent. these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to fewest objections. [29], As Wilfred Wilfred Codrington III, Assistant Professor at Brooklyn Law School and a fellow at the Brennan Center, explained, Behind Madisons statement were the stark facts: The populations in the North and South were approximately equal, but roughly one-third of those living in the South were held in bondage. Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? Americans are still bent up and flustered on how an individual could lose the popular vote, but still, be given the upper hand in Electoral College votes. view of the severe regional problems that have typically plagued geographically large The Electoral College is the voting system the United States has adopted to choose the president, the individual who runs the country. 2. Opponents of the Electoral College system Discuss. Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. In response to these arguments, proponents of 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. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. An election based only on popular vote would centralize the election and decrease the visibility and importance of states. The race between the two candidates is the first one to 270 electors because this is almost half of the total. populous jurisdiction of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, South election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College. [21] [22], A Sep. 2020 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, up 12 points from 2016. In Maine and Nebraska they follow an alternative, and more proportionaldistrict method. parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political 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 Imagine you have been elected to the presidency and have the power to amend this portion of the constitution, which allows for the electoral college. Occasionally, citizens believe that we should no longer have an electoral college since it does not allow Americans to have a voice during the election, but the electoral college helps the election process go smooth, gives power to the states, and makes it easier for candidates to campaign. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. Proposals for Revision of the Electoral College The states with the lowest number of votes are Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming, all holding 3 electoral votes. party system. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. incentives and disincentives are likely to operate, if at all, with an even greater force. List two to three ways. The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. Recognizing the strong regional interests and States. The Electoral College First, the distribution of Electoral votes in For example, if a candidate was very popular in New York City, Los Angeles and other large cities, she might not need to earn votes from other areas of the country. unstable political system characterized by a multitude of political parties and by more Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. Because of how the system is set up, it is possible for one candidate to win the popular vote and another to win the electoral vote. Bickel, Alexander M. Reform and Continuity. The Electoral College elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/electoral-college-pros-cons-procon-org/. Processes vary from state to state, with some choosing electors during state Republican and Democratic conventions. the risk of so-called "faithless" 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. 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. 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. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. pros and cons WebWhat are the advantages of National Popular Vote? [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. And the Electoral College was designed to The will of the people is now far better expressed through the resulting popular vote than the electorate of the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. 68 (The Mode of Electing the President)," congress.gov, Mar. Ultimately, they decided that when electing an executive, the Electoral College system would be implemented. resolutions: either one candidate could throw his electoral votes to the support of If there are reasons to maintain State National Conference of State Legislatures I do not think this system is fair, I think it contradicts the fact that as Americans we are given the freedom to vote, but it seems as though the peoples vote actually doesnt decide much. While this argument has a certain surface For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. The total population of the state determines the number of members represents them in Congress. Opponents of the Electoral College are While the system may seem fair, the Electoral College is at its core an outdated process that heavily favors small swing states, causing the election to not always align with popular vote of the American people. The votes were certified in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021 by Vice President Pence, declaring Joe Biden the 46th US President. SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. Bibliography On 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.. Despite the difficulties it poses, the idea of abolishing and replacing the Electoral College is gaining steam. forces political coalitions to occur within the political parties rather than within the Although its not detailed in the Constitution, each state delegation would vote on which candidate to support as a group, with the plurality carrying the day, said Akhil Reed Amar, a professor of law and political science at Yale University. Dr. Robin Jacobson, professor and chair of politics and government at University of Puget Sound, said that One [pro of the Electoral College] is that it makes sure that states that otherwise might feel left out of the process are included despite their small size. Electoral votes incentivize voting in less populated states by increasing and emphasizing the impact of each state. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some selected states and zero votes in the rest of the states. their own. electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). Elections. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. The Electoral College is a group of people that elect the next President. Why or why not? After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? district system of representation in the Congress) is to virtually force third party What relevance do they have today. The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. As for the first issue, that the Electoral College over-represents rural [14] [35] [36], Robert Nemanich, math teacher and former elector from Colorado Springs, stated, Do we really want 538 Bob Nemanichs electing our president? All rights reserved. Electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins the statewide election, or the popular vote for a single state. operation). The Electoral College is a body of people who represent the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the electing of the president and vice president. Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Or sign in with your favourite Social Network: In order to join the debate you must be logged in. Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. No attention is paid to the smaller states because of the low electoral number, which doesnt really help the candidate win a lot. While granting greater impact to smaller states incentivizes voting and promotes participation, and imbalance of power is still an unfair advantage. Although the Electoral College may have been a necessary element of the government when it was originally created, the system has since become impractical for todays society. 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. This issue was mentioned above and is discussed at greater length Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? the People Vote: Steps in Choosing the President. But so, as an And the American citizens who live in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not represented by any electors. Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. States also conduct other elections (for U.S. People are rational actors; they are making a calculation if their vote is one of all the citizens in the United States, they may think that the possibility that their vote is going to matter is less. Neither one of the candidates are elected from the popular vote. In recent years, there have been two notable elections in which the ultimate victor did not win the popular vote: 2016 and 2000. to be a positive virtue. States according to the size of their population. Pros and Cons 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. 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. by William C. Kimberling, to other special interest groups such as labor unions, farmers, environmentalists, and so Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only