Should we Still have an Electoral College?
No. This is a very important topic as we are currently stuck with a President of the United States that many didn’t want, because of an Electoral College. As each day passes it seems to be ever more likely that he’ll have another 4 years in office. We have the ability to change that outcome in November.
The sad part is that many people don’t know what the Electoral College actually is, and how it came to be in the 1st place.
What is the Electoral College?
For those of you who don’t know exactly what the Electoral College is, here is a definition: “a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president” (oneworldrepublic.org).
In other words when you cast your vote, it isn’t being casted individually. If the candidate you voted for wins in your state, a group of people who represent your state then formerly cast your vote for you.
The number of people that represent your state varies, depending on the size of your state.
Hypothetically if your state has 55 electoral votes, and the candidate you voted for wins that state, then all 55 votes go towards that candidate. If the candidate that you voted for loses, then 0 votes goes towards that candidate.
This winner takes all system goes for all but 2 states.
A Reason why Some People Feel that the Electoral College Makes Their Vote Irrelevant
Some states have a history of voting for a particular party. I was born and raised in New York City, and for my entire life the state has chosen the Democratic candidate. Some Republicans that live in my state might not care for the Electoral College because of this.
Republicans in my state may feel like their vote doesn’t matter, and in turn might be discouraged to vote at all.
New York State isn’t the only state that has a history of choosing a particular party, there are quite a few for both political parties. That means that millions of Americans might feel as though their vote doesn’t matter.
The more people that feel like their vote matters, the more people that will end up voting.
If you need further explanation, click this video here:
Although rare, because we have an Electoral College a candidate that has fewer votes overall can possibly win. This was the case in the year 2000, and in 2016.
The question is, is this fair? Since the smaller population states get significantly less electoral votes, one can argue that more times than not that their voices aren’t being heard in this system.
Some states get as little as 3 electoral votes, and oftentimes states like this don’t have a significant impact on the outcome of the election.
If an outdated system can lead to a President that the majority of citizens don’t care to have, then why do we still have it?
Why is the Electoral College Still Around Today?
One reason why some people still want the Electoral College around is because in a close race those smaller states become extremely vital, and cannot be ignored. When ignored in a close race, those same states that were ignored can be the difference in deciding who ends up being the President.
This video here explains how the Electoral College gives power to those smaller states:
Some people believe that the Electoral College is a way of giving “the little man” a voice. The harsh reality is in the vast majority of elections those smaller population states don’t have a large impact on deciding which candidate comes out victorious.
So are we just keeping the system around, just so the smaller states can feel somewhat important on the off chance that the election race is close??
Why Should we Switch to the Popular Vote?
I strongly believe that if we switch to the popular vote system that more people will feel encouraged to vote.
Having the popular vote determine our President will allow many people to feel as though their vote finally counts.
In a landslide victory under the popular voting system many people may feel like their one vote doesn’t matter. Meaning that in this system as well, there will be a lot of people that feel like their vote only matters when the election is close.
If both systems to some people only matter when it’s close, and when it’s a landslide feel as though their vote is insignificant, then why not choose a system in which GUARANTEES that the candidate with the most votes wins?
President Donald Trump lost the popular vote by more than 3 million votes. Let that sink in.
How did the Electoral College Come to be?
The idea of the Electoral College was adopted at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. There was a verbal disagreement at this convention because they wanted to give the people the chance to vote, but they also didn’t want candidates to ignore large parts of the country.
These negotiations were mandatory as most states probably wouldn’t have ratified the constitution if certain priorities weren’t met. No one would want to join something in which they felt as though were cheating them.
Some people fear that if we were to depend on the popular vote to decide the election that candidates would simply focus on the larger cities, while the smaller cities are neglected.
Another reason why the Electoral College was created is because many people in the 1700s may not have been educated enough on the candidates to make an informed decision. The government felt the need to take matters into their own hands that would give their state the best chance to pick the best candidate.
During this time in history the country was divided and had no real political direction to really be educated on.
For a more in depth detailed outline on how the electoral college came to be, watch this video here:
In today’s day and age, we can make a VERY strong argument that people are much more educated than they were back then. The people of today are more than able to make an educated and informed decision on who they believe is capable of running their country.
Why Should we Keep the Electoral College?
People who are an advocate for the Electoral College may bring up the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” We cannot argue that this very system has been the one that has been able to sustain a thriving economy for the better part of 2 centuries.
No matter who the President is, the United States Economy always seems to rank towards the top. Another important fact that we cannot ignore is the fact that the vast majority of the time, the electoral vote normally matches up with the popular vote.
A counter argument to this fact is: if the majority vote normally coincides with that of the electoral vote, then why not switch to the popular vote?? Why risk having a system that might employ a President that the majority of Americans don’t want.
Biggest Takeaway
I for one am a very strong advocate to eliminate the Electoral College. It should go without being said that a system that can allow a candidate to win that doesn’t have the backing of the majority of its citizens is a flawed one.
Maybe having the majority vote decide who becomes the next President isn’t a perfect system either, but it will certainly be better.
The biggest caveat of the Electoral College is that many people believe that if we were to move to the popular vote system that the smaller population states would feel as though their state would be neglected.
My advice to you is.. move to a bigger city.
All jokes aside I currently live in the biggest city in the United States known as New York City, and still there are many people that feel as though their vote doesn’t matter.
For as long as I can remember New York State has voted Democrat, meaning anyone who decides to vote Republican may feel like their political needs are neglected.
Feeling neglected doesn’t necessarily correlate to population size. There are millions of people across the nation that feel neglected regardless of population size.
To be fair no state should really feel neglected. If we move to the popular vote system, politicians will definitely invest more of their time and money in the larger cities without a doubt.
Although politicians may not campaign in your city, we live in a day and age where you can access any and all information on their political views at any hour.
Don’t feel ignored because the same attention they would have given your state is readily accessible if you choose to find it.
Another reason why smaller population states shouldn’t feel neglected is because it can be argued that their vote matters even more without the Electoral College. Imagine an election that can be decided by a total of one vote. It doesn’t get more important than that.
Regardless if candidates overlook your state, your vote is still being counted as one just like those big cities.
The Electoral College is a big reason why some people don’t vote. Getting rid of an outdated system should bode well for us.
Having the popular vote decide who becomes President let’s the people know that one single vote can ultimately be the difference in who is running our great country for the next 4 years.
How can you feel like your vote doesn’t matter if this is the case?
