Analysis of the Congressional-District Method of Awarding Electoral Votes Summary Under the congressional-district method of awarding electoral votes, one electoral vote is awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in each of a state's congressional districts. This advance is referred to as the winner-take-all approach. (They dont always do so.). 7. The country thinks we are going to elect the president using the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system tans and then four months before the election we change to the National Popular Vote Compact system and elect the president by whoever gets the most popular votes. 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 California. Yes. 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. cons of the national popular vote plan - lyonbureau.fr That means every state is allowed a minimum of 3 electoral votes. Although moving to a popular vote election would balance the weight of each vote, it would also create more sway in larger population states. A faithless elector in the United States is someone who casts an electoral ballot for someone other than the individuals to whom they are pledged. 8. 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. Gives too few states too much electoral power. Cons: Can disregard the will of the majority. Rescue crews are fighting rugged terrain in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as search efforts for a missing man remain ongoing. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop. Electoral college reform Flashcards | Quizlet In Election 2000, the eight most populous states had 228. This text is available online and is used for gudiance and inspiration, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. The conference's consulting services on policy issues go beyond testifying. 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. As of 2020, the state with the largest number of votes is California, with 55 electoral votes. Anyone can read what you share. The official 2016 election results from the Electoral College gave Donald J. Trump the victory with 306 electoral votes v. Hillary Clinton's 232 votes. 9. As of now, 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Delaware and Oregon. Pennsylvania is tied between Republican and Democratic representatives, and Michigan has seven Democrats, six Republicans and one independent. 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. Texas has 38. Thats how the framers of the Constitution set it up. Honorable Steve Cohen; Adam . Four candidates in history have won the popular vote only to be denied the presidency by the Electoral College. Make a contribution to support Common Cause today. I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. Using the NPV system means that every vote counts the same. It would be a national mandate to put someone in office, even if that winning candidate received less than 50% of the vote. We answer more than 20,000 requests for information a year. 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. Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. Donald Trump won the presidential election by securing 304 electoral votes, compared to Hillary Clinton's 227 electoral votes. Security would be improved across the country. 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. Maryland and New Jersey passed this bill in 2007, Hawaii and Illinois in 2008, Washington in 2009, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia in 2010, California and Vermont in 2011, Rhode Island in 2013, New York in 2014 and Connecticut in 2018. 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. This brings us to 196 of the 270 (73%) electoral votes needed to activate the pact just 74 votes away. Overview - Pros & Cons of the Electoral College - Digital Branch at And thats not how it should be in a democracy. That created a voter value of 2.85. Less would get done, which would affect the needs of households at the local level. Individual states agree to pledge their electors to the winner of the national popular vote, provided that enough other states follow suit. popular vote pros and cons-shootings in south dallasshootings in south dallas 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. 27 Major Pros & Cons Of The Electoral College " The Electoral College needs to go, because it's made our society less and less democratic." Pete Buttigieg, Politician Advantages & Disadvantages of the Electoral College The Electoral College is an organ that elects the president of the United States. But with the NPV Compact a change in party control of just one or two states could restore the old system of electing the president and then four years later it could be changed back. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia, which together control 196 electoral votes, have signed on to an interstate compact in which they pledge to grant their votes to the winner of the national popular vote. That could lead to a very bad situation where, instead of the people voting in November to determine who the next president is, one or two states could effectively decide who becomes the next president simply by joining or withdrawing from the NPV Compact and changing the rules on how the votes for president are counted in the next election. If the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact becomes law it would be an excellent first step to help get a future amendment to the Constitution to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect the president with a national popular vote using Ranked Choice Voting. Ultimately, any disputes about the procedure could land everything in the Supreme Court. Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. 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. Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. The popular vote eliminates this issue too. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. Electing a president who did not have broad regional support could lead to a fractured and less cohesive country, according to the Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. The NPV Interstate Compact does not eliminate the very complicated Electoral College system that most voters dont really understand. More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. Electoral College Pros and Cons. And that would lead to chaos in how political parties campaign for president and could also undermine the legitimacy of the process. An individuals vote doesnt make a difference when it is counted against the votes of the delegates in the House of Representatives and Senate. The Electoral College is very undemocratic and riddled with issues. 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). There was a lot of confusion over how Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. All Rights Reserved, How 2016 put pressure on the Electoral College. It would eliminate superfluous votes. 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). Its the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, that determines who wins the presidency. Electors are chosen every four years in the months leading up to Election Day by their respective states political parties. 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. 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. What can your students conclude? Currently, the National Popular Vote bill has 172 electoral votes. Inside Ohio or Florida, to pick two examples, the big cities do not receive all the attention, and they certainly do not control the outcome. This feature is critical to the passionate bipartisan support the compact receives. It would reduce the influence of third parties on the U.S. presidential election. Analyzing the Pros and Cons of Electoral College Reform: Should We The country could become less stable and divided if he or she did not have a vast amount of support (Richards). Following the unprecedented and volatile 2020 presidential race when the popular vote winner was clear on Election Night, but final results still took days it's never been more clear that the Electoral College needs a major overhaul. ; Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. This unique system of electing presidents is a big reason why Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. 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. Longley, Robert. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409. 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. 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. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. National Archives:U.S. Wyoming had just 3 electoral votes, but only had 255,000 voters as well. (The District of Columbia gets three, despite the fact that the home to Congress has no vote in Congress.). 18 Pros and Cons of Popular Vote - Vittana.org It would take a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College an unlikely move because of how difficult it is to pass and ratify constitutional changes. Advantage: Encourages Voter Turnout It would eliminate the Congressional provisions for a non-majority election. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Electoral votes are designated among the states based on Census. 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. Analyze and debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College system. The votes of those who do not live in closely divided battleground states effectively count less. All samples were added by students. 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. The official 2016 election results from the Electoral College gave Donald J. Trump the victory with 306 electoral votes v. Hillary Clinton's 232 votes. 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 . 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. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. 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 its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. (LogOut/ Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. https://www.thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409 (accessed May 1, 2023). Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators "Pros and cons of the Electoral College it said this about what supporters think about the electoral college "Naturally . That means the bill needs 74 votes to reach a 270 majority, putting it into effect across 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. What Happens if There Is a Tie in the Electoral College? However, many people believe that a direct popular election is more democratic and fair than the Electoral College. 5 terms. Even though we will be able to elect the president by national popular vote using the The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, eventually the rules for how we elect the president should be an official part of the Constitution.
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national popular vote plan pros and cons