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Juan Donado

High School Student,

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Should Americans eliminate the Electoral College and elect their presidents through simple majority vote?

Given that some presidents have won without persuading the majority of Americans, and the huge deal of money spent only on swing states I ask myself that question

I have always thought that it is unfair that republicans in California or Democrats in Texas are not taken into account just because people around them think differently.

Time for change?

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  • Rick Pedigo

    • +2
    Oct 29 2012: The Electoral College is a direct violation of my Civil Right to vote for President and Vice President. In nearly all states, electors are awarded on a winner-take-all basis to the candidate who wins the most votes in that state. Therefore, all citizens that voted for the candidate that lost that state have had there votes eliminated. In states where one political party is stronger than the other, the minority party will never get a chance to vote for the President. This is a direct violation of my constitutional rights to have my vote count.

    We have the technology and ability to correctly count ballots. The Electoral Collage is outdated, and is no longer needed.

    Regardless of your political views or party, wouldn't you like your vote to count?

    • Noah Crossfield

      • 0
      Nov 3 2012: I see what you are saying Rick, but I dont see how a direct popular vote would change the situation. If we had a direct popular vote, one side would still win. The losing side's votes would "not count" just like the minority in the state did not count in your example. The problem is not the electoral college system but the fact that there is only one president who is elected. A popular vote system wouldnt change that

      • John Smith 30+

        • 0
        Nov 3 2012: With a popular vote you really need 50%+1 votes to win, with the electoral college you can win with as few as 25%+1 votes because the vote of a democrat in Texas or of a republican in New York really don't count.

    • Sage Hagan

      • 0
      Nov 9 2012: While I understand your frustration, claiming it's a violation of your "Civil Rights" is incorrect. Because the United States Electoral College is established via Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution which binds the electoral college votes to the membership of Congress and the 23rd Amendment which gives D.C. three electoral votes the electoral college is perfectly constitutional.

      I do believe that the electoral college itself should be updated to be required to take into account the popular vote in a state unless less than 50% of the states registered voters do not vote. It's a complicated issue and should not be looked at as simply as a "gut it and take into account the popular vote only" viewpoint in my opinion. Many of the systems in place are to prevent a tyranny of the majority situation. Many are also in place when the electorate as a whole did not always have access to information like we do now. Update it absolutely. Gut it and be done with it... I don't think that's an answer.

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