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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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  • John Nelson

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    Nov 15 2012: The electoral college is vital to the Constitutional compact forming the United States of America. It really has its roots in the 1776 Constitutional Convention in the bicameral legislative compromise between large states and small states. James Madison's original "Virginia Plan" proposal was for one legislative body with representation based on population. New Jersey countered with a "small state" plan - a bicameral legislative branch: one house (Senate) with equal representation for all of the states and one house (House of Representatives) based on population. Today's electoral votes continue that compromise, giving small states power in the electoral process. Otherwise there would be no reason to vote in a state like South Dakota or Wyoming because there are probably 100,000 voters in California for every voter in South Dakota. There would be no incentive to vote if you lived in a small state. America would be the United Large States of America with some subservient small states without any power in a presidential election.

    Certainly every state could split their vote by Congressional districts - similar to what Maine & Nebraska do. That would make Republican votes in California more meaningful and Democratic votes in Texas count as much as those votes in South Dakota and Wyoming. It would also force the candidates to consider every state as significant to the outcome. Currently the Democrats start with more than a 100 vote advantage - New York (29), California (55), and Illinois (20) from just three states - without having to allocate any campaign dollars. Resources for both parties then focus on just a few states.

    Final word: this is the United States of America, not the People's Republic of America. The Electoral College works. Every state is represented fairly. Small states are important. Large states have clout. Individual voters affect the outcome in their state. Popular sovereignty & state sovereignty unite to elect our President.

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