Favouring the Reform of the Electoral College. In theory that could happen every four years. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. Yes. NCSL conducts policy research in areas ranging from agriculture and budget and tax issues to education and health care to immigration and transportation. This brings us to 196 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the pact. The senators in the U.S. Senate make up two votes in addition to the votes that represent the number of its members in the U.S. House of Representatives (Archives). On average, studies show that falls in line with historical averages showing around 60 percent of eligible voters casting a vote in presidential election years. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. As of July 2020, a National Popular Vote bill has been signed into law in 16 states controlling a total of 196 electoral votes, including 4 small states, 8 medium-sized states, 3 big states (California, Illinois, and New York), and the District of Columbia. By adding this new interstate compact to the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect our president we are in fact making this system even more complicated and even harder for the voters to understand. When you vote for a presidential candidate, you are actually voting for a group of electors from your state who have all pledged to vote for your candidate. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. Currently, the National Popular Vote bill has 172 electoral votes. NAPA Net Staff. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. The only election in the United States which is not governed by the popular vote is the presidential election. Our experts will write for you an essay on any topic, with any deadline and requirements from scratch, Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons. More people live in urban regions, which means they would have a constant sway over the election. Today the Democrats want to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system with a direct popular vote and the Republicans adamantly want to keep it. Electoral College Pros and Cons. 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. In 2016, Gary Johnson received 4.48 million votes and 0 electoral votes, but the potential is always there for this to happen. The Early Learning Fellows Program is a year long opportunity to legislators and legislative staff particularly interested in the topic of early care and education. More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. Thus, the National Popular Vote plan will take effect when enacted by states controlling an additional 74 electoral votes. This leads to an intense focus on battleground states, as candidates look to boost their electoral advantage by targeting states that can help them reach the needed 270 votes of the 538 up for grabs. Additionally, the Founders reasoned that the system would prevent states with larger populations from having an unequal influence on the election. The pros and cons of the popular vote structure of an election allow for the majority to have their say in who they wish to serve. Wyoming had just 3 electoral votes, but only had 255,000 voters as well. The Electoral College was established in the Constitution to protect minority interests and mitigate the possibility of a regional candidate. Should that happen, then the final decision of who gets to serve as President of the United States is taken away from individual voters. Start and finish your paper with ease. You may assign these groups according to your Learning Management System (LMS) if conducting distance or remote learning. The Founding Fathers chose it as a compromise between allowing Congress to choose the president and having the president elected directly by the popular vote of the people. One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. Because of the Winner-Take-All state laws candidates for president only campaign and spend their money in 12-13 swing states because voters in those few swing states determine who wins the election and presidential candidates totally ignore voters in the rest of the country(except to raise money). In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. Although faithless electors have not affected the results or outcome of an election yet, in 2016, there were 7 faithless electors. That would increase the amount of polarization being experienced in politics today because there would be less of a need to compromise. Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. While it has provided a stable and predictable framework for presidential elections, it has also produced several controversial outcomes. WASHINGTON (AP) WHY IS IT THAT ONE CANDIDATE CAN WIN THE POPULAR VOTE BUT ANOTHER WINS THE ELECTORAL VOTE AND THUS THE PRESIDENCY? After all, the Electoral College makes it possible that a candidate who wins the majority of the votes could still lose the election. 1. NCSL Child Welfare Fellows program is designed to support legislators and legislative staff who are experienced or emerging leaders in child welfare policy. New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, Hear from two columnists with different political ideologies discuss the week in politics, Hear New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics. Over the long run the countrys popular vote in presidential elections has roughly been equally split between Republican and Democratic.*. The first problem it creates is the opportunity for the loser of the popular vote to win the electoral vote. 2. Would they like to see the system changed? 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact. The Compact ensures that every vote, in every state, will matter in every presidential election. This unique system of electing presidents is a big reason why Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The National Popular Vote compact would have the same effect as a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College but has the benefit of retaining the power to control presidential elections in states hands. SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. That means every state is allowed a minimum of 3 electoral votes. In a closely contested direct popular election, every precinct across the country might require close examination, rather than a handful of states or precincts. This is a situation that has caused controversy in the election years of of 1800, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 when the elected president won the Electoral College and the presidency but did not win the popular vote. 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. It has been enacted by twelve states, which include Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, and California. The National Popular Vote; States in the National Popular Vote Compact; Voter Trends in 2016; Public Opinion on the Electoral College; What Congress Is Doing on the Electoral College; Pros & Cons of Ending Surprise Medical Billing; Pros & Cons of Mail-In Voting; Pros & Cons of Ending Surprise Medical Billing; PROs. But for those people who feel that changing how we elect the president should only be done by constitutional amendment they will feel that using the NPV Compact will undermine the legitimacy of the process even though its perfectly legal and constitutional. But she lost the presidency due to Trumps winning margin in the Electoral College, which came after he pulled out narrow victories in less populated Midwestern states like Michigan and Wisconsin. Richards earned a master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University. Because its so hard to get an amendment to the Constitution passed that means that once it becomes law it will probably remain so for a long time because the bar to change it back is so high. For the 7 presidential elections between 1992-2016, the Republican candidate has won the Electoral college 3 times. Two-thirds of the campaign events were in four states, Florida, Iowa, Virginia, and Ohio, that year. But in practice it could happen every 10 or 20 years when the Electoral College votes change because the congressional boundaries change with the new population census. https://www.nytimes.com/article/the-electoral-college.html. However, some critics argue that the advantages of a direct popular election including reflecting democratic principals, outweigh the disadvantages. 4. While we look further into the National Popular Vote, lets investigate some of its pro and cons for the American democracy. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. Retrieved from https://samploon.com/electoral-college-and-national-popular-vote-pros-and-cons/, Should the Electoral College Be Abolished, Pros for The Electoral College in the United States, Electoral College is Undemocratic but We Have no Better System, The Electoral College Should Be Terminated, The Electoral College Annotated Bibliography. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. And the American citizens who live in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not represented by any electors. Bush and Al Gore (Black). Voters in spectator states, including five of the nations 10 most populous states (California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey), and 12 of the 13 least populous states (all but New Hampshire) have no real incentive to go to the polls as their votes do not affect the outcome of the election. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. The Electoral College is very undemocratic and riddled with issues. She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. The same thing happened in 2000. Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. 2. Fellows will focus on important federal legislation, and find ways they can improve their state's child welfare program. 6. Would you like to get a custom essay? National popular vote plan. However, many people believe that a direct popular election is more democratic and fair than the Electoral College. 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. Moving to the popular vote structure would eliminate this potential issue. And in all states but Maine and Nebraska, the candidate who receives the most votes in that state is awarded all of its electoral votes, whether the split is 51% to 49% or 99% to 1%. It has been enacted by twelve states, which include Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, and California. This means that the U.S. would fundamentally be unable to pay back its existing loans, described by Bloomberg as a "major disaster" that could significantly impact the world economy. Probably the NPV Compact would be enacted into law with as little as a simple majority of the states and possibly even less. In the early 19th century, many states ratified an approach that would allow the candidate with the most votes in that state to be the winner. National Popular Vote is a constitutional and practical way to implement nationwide popular election of the President a goal traditionally supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans. Instead of a direct popular election, the United States has the Electoral College, a group of electors who represent each state's votes. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. States boyd, william j.d., "electoral college system challenged." national civic review 55.9 (1966): 519-23. Definition and Examples. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, no matter which presidential candidate wins in their state, says CU Boulder political scientist Ken Bickers. These battleground or swing states receive 7% more federal grants, twice as many presidential disaster declarations, more Superfund enforcement exemptions, and more No Child Left Behind law exemptions (National Popular Vote). The amendment requires that any change to the rate of compensation for members of Congress can only take effect after a subsequent election in the House of Representatives. (LogOut/ Most Popular. 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. The National Popular Vote would go into effect when states controlling 270a simple majorityof the total 538 electoral votes. A direct popular election would make it more possible for third-party candidates to succeed and would also encourage political parties to become more radical and extreme. A presidential candidate needs at least 26 votes to win. 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. The Pros and Cons of Pooled Employer Plans: Debate. 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. 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. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Four candidates in history have won the popular vote only to be denied the presidency by the Electoral College. Despite the name, it is not a college in the modern educational sense, but refers to a collegium or group of colleagues. This outdated institution creates unnecessary . Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. Home| Government| Elections| Electoral College| Electoral College Pros And Cons. For example, if a state used NPV and voted for candidate A, but candidate B received the most votes nationwide, the state would allocate its presidential electors to candidate B. A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. 211 Next Under the electoral college system, the candidates which receive the most votes in each state (or district) receive its assigned electoral votes. cons of the national popular vote planproperty management without a license in texas aot 4, 2022 12:34 . A shift of a relative handful of votes in one or two states would have elected the second-place candidate in six of the last 12 presidential elections. 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. NCSL staff are prepared to visit your state to work with legislators and staff on almost any public policy issue or issue related to the management of a legislature. An individuals vote doesnt make a difference when it is counted against the votes of the delegates in the House of Representatives and Senate. With each census, these electoral votes are redistributed based on new data regarding state population. When Americans cast their ballots, they are actually voting for a slate of electors appointed by their states political parties who are pledged to support that partys candidate. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. Breaking News: Biden Vetoes Congressional Resolution Blocking ESG Rule . There are currently 538 electors, and to be elected, a candidate must get the votes of at least 270 electors. (LogOut/ Cons of Electoral College. (2021, Jun 14). Less would get done, which would affect the needs of households at the local level. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Many Americans are confused about how a win is obtained under these conditions and are on a quest to change this traditional statute. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. At the moment, 98 more electoral votes are needed to pass this bill in all 50 states (National Conference of State Legislators). Analyzes how william j.d. That principle should be expanded to presidential elections. Under the electoral college, the majority votes of states assign electoral votes to a candidate, which then creates a majority total required for a victory. 1. As with other powers entrusted to the states, it is an application, not a circumvention, of the Constitution when the states utilize those powers as they see fit. 13 Early College High School Pros and Cons, 18 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of the Payback Period, 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing a Car, 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing, 24 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of a C Corporation, 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediation, 18 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gated Community, 17 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups, 17 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Bonds, 19 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities, 17 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising. Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. The aim of the National Popular Vote is to ensure the popular vote dictates the Electoral College results, making "every vote in every state" count. It would reduce the threshold necessary to win the office. A total of 538 electoral votes are in play across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. ThoughtCo, Feb. 17, 2021, thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409. So you run a campaign designed to maximize your votes in those few largest states. Since 2008, 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), which is an multi-state agreement to commit electors to. Many of these states dont participate in campaign visits or get televised ads. After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. The United States has a representative democracy rather than a direct democracy: Citizens elect representatives rather than voting on each bill. Electoral College. 7. If the election is based off a popular vote, each of these areas would need to be closely examined in real-time, which would enhance the security of each vote that is cast. To determine the National Popular Vote winner, state election officials simply would tally the nationwide vote for president based on each states official results. Read the overview below to gain an understanding of the process and explore the previews of opinion articles that highlight diverging views on this voting system. A candidate may not have to concentrate anymore, but they may have to move their attention to states such as Texas, New York, California, and Alaska. Under the electoral college system of voting, the number of representatives a state has in Congress (Senators and Representatives) is the total number of electoral votes it is allowed. The country could become less stable and divided if he or she did not have a vast amount of support (Richards). Students may work individually or in small groups. "Electoral College Pros and Cons." In theory we could change how we elect our president every four years. The Electoral College was devised at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Common Cause 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. Unless the national popular vote was very close, or there were all lot of recounts outstanding, the Compact states in most cases would effectively know what the outcome would be and could be prepared to certify their state votes very quickly to make the Electoral College meeting date deadline. 1. Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. The Electoral College also inspires many what-if scenarios, some of them more likely than others. What are some of the main advantages and disadvantages of the Electoral College? All samples were added by students. Today, electors meet in their respective states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December Dec. 14 this year to cast separate ballots for president and vice president, with the candidates who receive a majority of votes being elected. Once effective, states could withdraw from the compact at any time except during the six-month window between July 20 of an election year and Inauguration Day (January 20). It would reduce diversity in the election structures. Although moving to a popular vote election would balance the weight of each vote, it would also create more sway in larger population states. Every state is allocated several votes according to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. "Electoral College Pros and Cons." That means the cost of counting all the votes would be duplicated. NCSL helps draft bills, organize workshops and convene legislative-executive teams. In this issue of Capitol to Capitol NCSL Letter to Congress on Farm Bill Reauthorization and Town Hall, House Republicans Unveil Border Security Bill, and more. Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. Longley, Robert. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz often split about 60% of the GOP vote, which allowed Donald Trump to win early primaries with 35% of the vote. 5. Today, opinions on the future of the Electoral College range from protecting it as the basis of American democracy to abolishing it completely as an ineffective and obsolete system that may not accurately reflect the will of the people. You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. 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. Electors are chosen every four years in the months leading up to Election Day by their respective states political parties. According to the Constitution, the Electoral College is a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens (National Archives). That means the bill needs 74 votes to reach a 270 majority, putting it into effect across the country . If the National Popular Vote bill was secured within the American government, it would protect every vote and would allow those votes to equally matter in the presidential election. Processes vary from state to state, with some choosing electors during state Republican and Democratic conventions. 6. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. But if we set politics aside and focus on what is really best for democracy in our country in the long run I believe that the advantages of using the NPV compact to elect our president outweigh the disadvantages and the best way to elect our president in the 21st century is by direct popular vote using Ranked Choice Voting. Ultimately, any disputes about the procedure could land everything in the Supreme Court. It would require an Amendment in the U.S. for presidential elections. 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. There are various options for reforming the Electoral College system, including abolishing it altogether, adopting a national popular vote system, and proportional allocation Many people may feel that any major change in how we elect the president should be in the Constitution and not in a legal loop hole even if its legal and technically constitutional. Each states electoral votes are tallied by Congress in the House chamber by House and Senate representatives on the 6th day of January following the Presidential election. 9. When a popular vote is held for a national office, the election becomes more about platform issues than local issues. Why or why not? Idea to keep electoral college but add 102bvotes. on WordPress.com. In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. How could this happen? In a stark example, sparsely populated Wyoming has three votes and a population of about 580,000, giving its individual voters far more clout in the election than their millions of counterparts in densely populated states like Florida, California and New York. The Youth Homelessness Fellows Program is a year long opportunity to legislators and legislative staff particularly interested in the topic of youth and young adult homelessness. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Fair or not fair? This advance is referred to as the winner-take-all approach. Make a contribution to support Common Cause today. National bonus plan. After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored . 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. It would eliminate the Congressional provisions for a non-majority election. It could encourage voter turnout. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop.
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