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. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. Fair or not fair? It was a compromise between those who wanted direct popular elections for president and those who preferred to have Congress decide. This hybrid system means that more weight is given to a single vote in a small state than the vote of someone in a large state, leading to outcomes at times that have been at odds with the popular vote. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. 5. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. The electoral college encourages a two-party system and rewards candidates who have broad appeal. More people live in urban regions, which means they would have a constant sway over the election. Gives too few states too much electoral power. Going to the popular vote would eliminate this issue altogether. Each vote would affect each candidate instead of being overlooked due to which state those votes would be coming from. The Electoral College was established in the Constitution to protect minority interests and mitigate the possibility of a regional candidate. More than 74 million votes had been counted for Mr. Trump. The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors and a majority of 270 electoral votes is mandatory to nominate the President. 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 How does the system currently work? 9. Critics, however, argue that Founders reasoning is no longer relevant as todays voters are better-educated and have virtually unlimited access to information and to the candidates stances on the issues. And the American citizens who live in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not represented by any electors. Only Nebraska and Maine do not. NAPA Net Staff. So you run a campaign designed to maximize your votes in those few largest states. 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. Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. As the National Popular Vote (NPV) movement steps up its effort to impose a direct election for president, attempting to enlist states with a sufficient number of electors to constitute a majority (268) and to bind them to the winner of the national popular vote, those states considering the proposal might first reflect on the nightmare . She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. Regional candidates could secure enough votes to win a national election. 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. 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. The allotment of the extra votes would almost always ensure that the person who wins the popular vote would also win the Electoral College. The National Popular Vote plan would eliminate what critics of the Electoral College system point to as the "winner-take-all" rule - the awarding all of a state's electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in that state. 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. Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. "Pros and cons of the Electoral College it said this about what supporters think about the electoral college "Naturally . By continuing well assume youre on board with our, https://samploon.com/electoral-college-and-national-popular-vote-pros-and-cons/, Select a writer from a large pool of experts. 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. One route would be a constitutional amendment, which would require two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate and ratification by the states, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures. Every state is allocated several votes according to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. Pro: It's the only way to avoid defaulting. Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. The use of the Electoral College has been the only approach the U.S. has used to gain a President, but this way has generated numerous issues. 2023 by National Conference of State Legislatures, NCSL 50-State Searchable Bill Tracking Databases, Supreme Court to Reexamine Use of Civil Asset Forfeiture. 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 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. on WordPress.com. We have seen this outcome in the 2016 Presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and in the 2000 election between George H.W. Some states, such as California and Hawaii, both had their bills vetoed by their governors before it was overridden and enacted by state legislators. The National Popular Vote Plan is an alternative system that would still use electors to cast their votes but instead it would give each state's votes to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote. Idea to keep electoral college but add 102bvotes. There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an election. This brings us to 196 of the 270 (73%) electoral votes needed to activate the pact just 74 votes away. (LogOut/ 8. At a time of little national identity and competition among the states, there were concerns that people would favor their regional candidates and that big states with denser populations would dominate the vote. It would reduce the threshold necessary to win the office. Its just like in tennis, he said. A direct popular election also ensures that citizens' votes have equal weight. Although the 20th Amendment to the Constitution provides clarity to this situation, that process is based on the electoral college. The system had some unusual results from the start, as evident in the election of 1800, a tie in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received an equal number of electoral votes. The NPV Interstate Compact does not eliminate the very complicated Electoral College system that most voters dont really understand. 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. NCSL Child Welfare Fellows program is designed to support legislators and legislative staff who are experienced or emerging leaders in child welfare policy. 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. One such movement, the National Popular Vote plan would ensure that the winner of the popular vote would also win at least enough Electoral College votes to be elected president. According to the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School, some proponents of the Electoral College argue that it isolates election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout. The popular vote eliminates this issue too. Although faithless electors have not affected the results or outcome of an election yet, in 2016, there were 7 faithless electors. Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power. 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. We answer more than 20,000 requests for information a year. The nations founders hoped to quell the formation of powerful factions and political parties, and they wanted a mechanism that did not rely solely on popular majorities or Congress. In addition, while the Founders considered the electors as being free from any sinister bias in 1788, electors today are selected by the political parties and are usually pledged to vote for the partys candidate regardless of their own beliefs. 1. Hence, the National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact a type of state law authorized by the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into a legally enforceable, contractual obligation to undertake agreed joint actions, which may be delayed in implementation until a requisite number of states join in. A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. But . Image the country thinks it is going to elect the president by National Popular Vote and then changing back to using the old Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system just four months before an election. 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. 3. Reduces voter participation by creating a "my vote doesn't matter" feeling. 1. The group as a whole should help that student to prepare his or her argument. Should that happen, then the final decision of who gets to serve as President of the United States is taken away from individual voters. Without the popular vote bill, swing states would continue to get more leverage and attention from candidates to ensure that they would be able to capture their votes. Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. When you talk about the Electoral College shaping the election, it shapes the election all the time because it puts the focus on certain states and not others, said Alexander Keyssar, a professor of history and social policy at Harvard University. lilj512. Under the electoral college system, the candidates which receive the most votes in each state (or district) receive its assigned electoral votes. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. 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 election is held every four years on the first Tuesday in November and prior to election day, the two candidates endure state-level primaries, caucuses, debates, and conventions. 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. Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. (LogOut/ 1. The Pros and Cons of Pooled Employer Plans: Debate. Each state is allowed one elector for each of its Representatives and Senators in Congress. 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. Note: Today we are in a phase where the popular vote in presidential elections leans Democratic. 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. 7. Learn more about how the National Popular Vote compact works and the ways it could make our elections better for everyone. 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. However, that support diverges widely based on political parties, with support from 89 percent of Democrats and only 23 percent of Republicans. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had more than 10 million of these votes, while Donald Trump had more than 8.3 million, even though Trump won 30 states and Clinton won 20 and the District of Columbia. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. https://www.thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409 (accessed May 1, 2023). You can use essay samples to find ideas and inspiration for your paper. That would likely reduce the number of voters who cast a ballot in each election as most people are more concerned about local impacts than national policies. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education, Explore state by state cost analysis of US colleges in an interactive article, Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections: The Electoral College, University of the Pacific: Electoral College Reform, University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School: The Electoral College. America is known to have the costliest, prolonged, and complicated structure when electing a head of state. A total of 538 electoral votes are in play across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. While we look further into the National Popular Vote, lets investigate some of its pro and cons for the American democracy. There would be a reduced need to build coalitions. ; Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop. 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.
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