2. 4. If the election is based off a popular vote, each of these areas would need to be closely examined in real-time, which would enhance the security of each vote that is cast. Before the 2016 election, the largest vote deficit in the popular vote was Al Gore securing over 500,000 votes more than George W. Bush. 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. Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. The first problem it creates is the opportunity for the loser of the popular vote to win the electoral vote. This is a situation that has caused controversy in the election years of of 1800, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 when the elected president won the Electoral College and the presidency but did not win the popular vote. Donald Trump won the presidential election by securing 304 electoral votes, compared to Hillary Clinton's 227 electoral votes. The 102 extra electoral votes are calculated from allotting two votes for every state and for Washington, D.C. At the moment, 98 more electoral votes are needed to pass this bill in all 50 states (National Conference of State Legislators). The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. Or the opposite could be true. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. Today, opinions on the future of the Electoral College range from protecting it as the basis of American democracy to abolishing it completely as an ineffective and obsolete system that may not accurately reflect the will of the people. Should the Electoral College stay or go? - PBS NewsHour Classroom Anyone can read what you share. The state legislatures of the cooperating states would . 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. The popular vote eliminates this issue too. Texas has 38. After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored . Gordon Kaye, 68, of Tampa, Florida was reported missing on April 26. Although Al Gore won the popular vote, George W. Bush earned more electoral votes after a contested Florida recount and a Supreme Court decision. And in all states but Maine and Nebraska, the candidate who receives the most votes in that state is awarded all of its electoral votes, whether the split is 51% to 49% or 99% to 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. If some of the 50 states and DC cannot certify their popular votes by the December deadline that could create a constitutional crisis where we would not have all of the state Electoral College votes certified by the time the Electoral College is required to vote according to the Constitution. A special commission named by the House chose Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden, after 20 electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina were disputed. This move would ensure that the Presidency would be given to the candidate that received the most popular votes all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop. (Voters in one of those states, Colorado, on Nov. 3 backed membership in the compact after opponents of the measure collected enough signatures to put the law on the ballot as a referendum.) Under the Electoral College system, voters in states that are overwhelmingly in support of one candidate might feel like their vote is unimportant. I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. What Happens if There Is a Tie in the Electoral College? All in all, the Electoral College causes many problems that seem unfair to American voters during such an important election. This brings us to 196 of the 270 (73%) electoral votes needed to activate the pact just 74 votes away. 27 Major Pros & Cons Of The Electoral College - E&C Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. https://www.thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409 (accessed May 1, 2023). lilj512. Whether electors should be able to change their positions has been heavily debated, so much so that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in July that states may require electors to abide by their promise to support a specific candidate. There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an 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. Because of the state Winner-Take-All rules, which arent even part of the Constitution, they can lead to presidential elections where the winner of the election doesnt have the most popular votes. It would eliminate the threat of a faithless elector. 1. 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. A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. (The District of Columbia gets three, despite the fact that the home to Congress has no vote in Congress.). After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. Breaking News: Biden Vetoes Congressional Resolution Blocking ESG Rule . cons of the national popular vote plan By April 20, 2023 April 20, 2023 power bi if statement with multiple conditions on cons of the national popular vote plan More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. How about receiving a customized one? What Is the National Bonus Plan? - reference.com In contrast, other issues related to the federal government are not exclusively entrusted to the states, and therefore the states lack the power to alter them. The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. Longley, Robert. For more information on this topic, use this form to reach NCSL staff. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. And finally, the Electoral College doesnt work today anywhere near how the Founding Fathers intended it to work when they created it back in 1787. (LogOut/ Students may work individually or in small groups. 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. The last amendment, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, was ratified nearly 200 years after it was originally proposed. Under the electoral college, the majority votes of states assign electoral votes to a candidate, which then creates a majority total required for a victory. 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. Contact your states liaison to schedule a briefing or to learn more. Using the NPV system means that every vote counts the same. 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. Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. The Electoral College - Top 3 Pros and Cons An individuals vote doesnt make a difference when it is counted against the votes of the delegates in the House of Representatives and Senate. Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. The Supreme Court has said in local and state elections voting should be based on the principle of one person one vote. on WordPress.com. Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. That principle should be expanded to presidential elections. The conference's consulting services on policy issues go beyond testifying. 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. popular vote pros and cons-shootings in south dallasshootings in south dallas Explain to your students that while in November Americans will cast their ballots for president, there is actually a system called the Electoral College that determines who will win the election. Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. Although its not detailed in the Constitution, each state delegation would vote on which candidate to support as a group, with the plurality carrying the day, said Akhil Reed Amar, a professor of law and political science at Yale University. A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. For the 7 presidential elections between 1992-2016, the Republican candidate has won the Electoral college 3 times. Currently, the National Popular Vote bill has 172 electoral votes. Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. The National Popular Vote initiative transpired in 2006. Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee the Right to Vote for All U.S. Citizens. Two-thirds of the campaign events were in four states, Florida, Iowa, Virginia, and Ohio, that year. It would reduce the influence of third parties on the U.S. presidential election. Under the National Popular Vote plan,the compact would take effect only when enabling legislation has been enacted by states collectively possessing a majority of the electoral votes:270 of 538 total. The NPV is a multi-state agreement that, when active, would ensure that the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote nationally also wins in the Electoral College. With the polarization in global politics today, especially in the United States, a switch to the popular vote would likely increase costs even further. Gives too few states too much electoral power. In Election 2000, the eight most populous states had 228. In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. University of Colorado Boulder Cons of Electoral College. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. Many of these states dont participate in campaign visits or get televised ads. The Electoral College was devised at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. 5. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, no matter which presidential candidate wins in their state, says CU Boulder political scientist Ken Bickers. Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that state's electors. 2. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators Analysis of the Congressional-District Method of Awarding Electoral Votes 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. The Compact ensures that every vote, in every state, will matter in every presidential election. Due to some states being heavily populated in comparison to others, that may help a candidate quickly obtain a win. 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.