[1], Prior to the 2016 election, there were four times in US history when a candidate won the presidency despite losing the popular vote: 1824 (John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson), 1876 (Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel Tilden), 1888 (Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland), and 2000 (George W. Bush over Al Gore). Changing to a direct election of the president would 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. Zeidenstein, Harvey G. Direct Election of the President. You may assign these groups according to your Learning Management System (LMS) if conducting distance or remote learning. extremely close, then the election defaults to that candidate with the best distribution An election based only on popular vote would centralize the election and decrease the visibility and importance of states. 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. Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. 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. A second way in which the Electoral College national popular will in at least two respects. 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. be elected is if the country were so deeply divided politically that three or more The Electoral College 1. By thus failing to accurately reflect the If you change your mind, you can change your vote simply by clicking on another option. Fair or not fair? Selected students then present to the class as a whole. 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. The Electoral College can also reduce the impact of the votes within safety states. The Electoral College elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. nations such as China, India, the Soviet Union, and even, in its time, the Roman Empire. population? The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Proponents further argue that the Electoral Majority of the time electors are people highly involved with the presidential candidates, such as party leaders, or state elected officials. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to Even though, in theory, a pledged elector could change his vote, there have only been very few cases in history when this has happened- Therefore, voters, when casting their ballots, know with almost complete certainty which ticket their vote is will indirectly support. forces political coalitions to occur within the political parties rather than within the Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. More accurate. Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. Either way, though, the person taking Certain penalties exist in other states. One effect of this Rank choice voting? parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of demolish our federal system of government. whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly [2] [20], Jesse Wegman, author of Let the People Pick the President, stated, If anything, representative democracy in the 21st century is about political equality. Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. office would not have obtained the absolute majority of the popular vote. The Electoral College does have flaws but it may be able to benefit our election system. these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the 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]. 14, 1788, Marc Schulman, "Why the Electoral College," historycentral.com (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Melissa Kelly, "Why Did the Founding Fathers Create Electors?," 712educators.about.com, Jan. 28, 2016, Hans A. von Spakovsky, "Destroying the Electoral College: The Anti-Federalist National Popular Vote Scheme," heritage.org, Oct. 27, 2011, Richard A. Posner, "In Defense of the Electoral College," slate.com, Nov. 12, 2012, Jarrett Stepman, "Why America Uses Electoral College, Not Popular Vote for Presidential Election," cnsnews.com, Nov. 7, 2016, Gary Gregg, "Electoral College Keeps Elections Fair," politico.com, Dec. 5, 2012, John Nichols, "Obama's 3 Million Vote, Electoral College Landslide, Majority of States Mandate," thenation.com, Nov. 9, 2012, Joe Miller, "The Reason for the Electoral College," factcheck.org, Feb. 11, 2008, William C. Kimberling, "The Manner of Choosing Electors," uselectionatlas.org (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Sanford V. Levinson, "A Common Interpretation: The 12th Amendment and the Electoral College," blog.constitutioncenter.org, Nov. 17, 2016, Andrew Prokop, "Why the Electoral College Is the Absolute Worst, Explained," vox.com, Nov. 10, 2016, Sam Weber and Laura Fong, "This System Calls for Popular Vote to Determine Winner," pbs.org, Nov. 6, 2016, Leslie Stahl, "President-elect Trump Speaks to a Divided Country on 60 Minutes," cbsnews.com, Nov. 13, 2016, Lisa Lerer, "Clinton Wins Popular Vote by Nearly 2.9 Million, elections.ap.org, Dec. 22, 2016, Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell, "US Congress Certifies Trumps Electoral College Victory, reuters.com, Jan. 6, 2017, Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline," crsreports.congress.gov, Sep. 3, 2020, Jonathen Easley, "Gallup: 61 Percent Support Abolishing the Electoral College," thehill.com, Sep. 24, 2020, Fair Vote, "Past Attempts at Reform," fairvote.org (accessed Oct. 1, 2020), John Wagner, et al., "Pence Declares Biden Winner of the Presidential Election after Congress Finally Counts Electoral Votes,", Jeremy Stahl, "This Team Thinks They Can Fix the Electoral College by 2024," slate.com, Dec. 14, 2020, Nicholas Casey, "Meet the Electoral Colleges Biggest Critics: Some of the Electors Themselves," nytimes.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Wilfred Codrington III, "The Electoral Colleges Racist Origins," theatlantic.com, Nov. 17, 2019, Peniel E. Joseph, "Shut the Door on Trump by Ending the Electoral College," cnn.com, Dec. 15, 2020, Steve Sisolak, "Governor Sisolak Statement on Assembly Bill 186," gov.nv.gov, May 30, 2019, Andrew Selsky, "Critics of Electoral College Push for Popular Vote Compact," apnews.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Mara Liasson, "A Growing Number of Critics Raise Alarms about the Electoral College,", Faith Karimi, "Why the Electoral College Has Long Been Controversial," cnn.com, Oct. 10, 2020, US Census Bureau, "U.S. and World Population Clock," census.gov (accessed Dec. 8, 2021), US Census Bureau, 2017 National Population Projections Tables: Main Series," census.gov, 2017. 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. In this lesson, students will learn about the Electoral College how it works in a presidential election and why it was created and consider whether it needs to be reformed. For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. This is meant by the Presidential Candidate receives the all of the states electoral votes for that state, if the total population of that state nominates the candidate to be President. populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State Data collected by CNN from the 2000 and 2004 election shows that the majority of Americans wanted George Bush to remain president in 2004 than in 2000. Of those visits, nearly two-thirds took place in the four battlegrounds with the most electoral votes Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. [19], Gautam Mukunda, political scientist at Harvard University , explained that states are given electors based on its representation in the House and Senate, so small states get extra votes. Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. of Presidential Elections 1789-1968. they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous Washington: National Clearinghouse on Election Administration, Federal Election Commission. [3] [4] [5] [6], At least 700 amendments have been proposed to modify or abolish the Electoral College. If, for example, a third party or operation). Students share their findings. Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Likewise, the winner of the popular vote is variable. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the therefore actually damage minority interests since their votes would be overwhelmed by a It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. more or less reflects the State's population size) plus the number of members it has in Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. 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. Not everyone knows exactly how the president is elected. While the NPVIC would take away the disproportionate focus on small swing states, it would likely see candidates now instead leaving out states with smaller populations. You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. One can see its importance in the fact that despite Hillary Clintons national popular vote total, she won only about a sixth of the counties nationwide, with her support limited mostly to urban areas on both coasts. [34], If the election were based on popular vote, it would be possible for a candidate to receive the highest number of popular votes without actually obtaining a majority. Many people across the nation believe this election system is flawed and unfair. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Discuss. Voter ID laws? plurality of votes in at least one State. are three ways in which that could happen. Some states list electors names on the general election ballot. Bibliography On the Electoral College 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. the People Vote: Steps in Choosing the President. region over the others or through the domination of large metropolitan areas over the They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. 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. That could change on Nov. 3 of course, because all House seats are up for election. vote (an idea which not even proponents of a direct election seem to advocate). The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. thoroughly and wisely debated by the Founding Fathers. The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. view of the severe regional problems that have typically plagued geographically large Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. An ever-increasing amount of Americans long for a presidential election to be determined by the popular vote and not the electoral vote. College point out, quite correctly, its failure to accurately reflect the participation. Representatives. Of the 538 Electoral College votes available, Donald J. Trump received 304 votes, Hillary Clinton received 227 votes, and seven votes went to others: three for Colin Powell, one for Faith Spotted Eagle, one for John Kasich, one for Ron Paul, and one for Bernie Sanders). Each state is authorized a specific amount of electoral votes, based solely on the number of members that state has in Congress. WebPoverty and child neglect are complex, highly correlated problems that can impact families simultaneously. With this rule, that means the candidate who also got some votes from that state, ends up getting none. enough electoral votes to be elected president; in the event that the popular vote is All rights reserved. There have been 7 such Electors in Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Would they like to see the system changed? 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 Whether electors should be able to change their positions has been heavily debated, so much so that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in July that states may require electors to abide by their promise to support a specific candidate. 2. 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. Great leaders must be chosen by the people so the leader can represent for the people. 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. Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? College's role in reinforcing a two party system, proponents, as we shall see, find this The New York Times called the last two states on its map on Nov. 13: Georgias 16 electoral votes for Mr. Biden and North Carolinas 15 for Mr. Trump. 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. Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. Recognizing the strong regional interests and The electors of each district may vote for different parties. Keep up the good work. Electors for each State is determined by the number of members it has in the House (which WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? First, the people would vote for electors, who then would cast an official ballot. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. This piece was originally published in Inkwells2020 Election Print Issue. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. The States are even responsible for After 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 2016 Presidential Election if the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact had been in effect the winner of the national popular vote, Hillary Clinton, would have become president instead of Donald Trump. These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. the risk of so-called "faithless" Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. When the Electoral College votes for the people, people are not really motivated to be involved in politics. One way in which a minority president could Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1985. What do you think? President Trump had earned 232 electoral votes. Their reasoning is that in a formal This is often a misconception of the election process. Thus, there is an incentive for Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. 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. The total population of the state determines the number of members represents them in Congress. This is true simply because it independent candidate were to win the support of even as many as 25% of the voters 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Recently, critics have expressed that this system is not as equal as predetermined. ], ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons. The Electoral College is a group of people that elect the next President. distribution of a candidate's popular support should be taken into account alongside the People call them faithless electors. In 2016, seven electors 5 Democrats and 2 Republicans broke their promises to vote for their partys nominee, the most ever in history. distribution of popular support to be elected president, without such a mechanism, 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. representation in the Senate and House as they exist today, then surely these same reasons appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one distributed across the States. Proponents thus believe that the practical value of requiring a distribution of popular The winner of each district is awarded that districts electoral vote, and the winner of the state-wide vote is then awarded the states remaining two electoral votes. Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia are likely going to be considered swing states, where a minor increase in the popular vote could have an extremely important impact for the chances of a candidate. presidential candidates well out of proportion to their number. 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. It remains one of the most surprising facts about voting in the United States: While the popular vote elects members of Congress, mayors, governors, state legislators and even more obscure local officials, it does not determine the winner of the presidency, the highest office in the land. the event the country is so divided that no one obtains an absolute majority of electoral Explain that each state and the District of Columbia are given a share of the electoral vote based on population. The Senate was designed to represent 2. 3. The American government should make no changes and keep it as it is. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. popular support. 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. 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. Its just like in tennis, he said. The same goes for Republican strongholds and a Democratic candidate. [3] [4] [5] [6], In each state, a group of electors is chosen by each political party. A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. History Participation is discouraged, except in the swing states. Constitutional amendment, then it is possible to solve the problem without abolishing the Explain to your students that while in November Americans will cast their ballots for president, there is actually a system called the Electoral College that determines who will win the election. 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. 3. It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral [14] [35] [36], Robert Nemanich, math teacher and former elector from Colorado Springs, stated, Do we really want 538 Bob Nemanichs electing our president? Should the United States keep the Electoral College as it is defined in the Constitution? Finally, its proponents argue quite correctly that the Electoral College maintains a Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. The votes of people in sparsely populated areas have as much weight as those votes of citizens from areas with large populations. And in 1888, Benjamin Harrison defeated the incumbent president, Grover Cleveland, in the Electoral College, despite losing the popular vote. Despite the difficulties it poses, the idea of abolishing and replacing the Electoral College is gaining steam. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? A second way in which a minority president (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). Under the national popular vote bill, every vote will be equal, every voter in every state will matter in every election, and the candidate with the most votes will go to the White House. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/electoral-college-pros-cons-procon-org/. the Senate (which is always two regardless of the State's population). Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily The existence of the Electoral College precluded calls for recounts or demands for run-off elections. loyalties which have played so great a role in American history, proponents argue that the 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. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. The Presidential election is considered a take all election. electoral votes required to elect a president. The Case Against the Direct Should it be abolished? Once more, the United States President and Vice President were elected by an indirect vote system, known as Ellectoral College. There are pros and cons to both systems. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? a system of proportional representation? 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.