[ 1] Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. National popular vote plan. 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. A proposal has been made to restore the one person one vote principle without having to change the Constitution which involves an interstate compact. 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. Because every vote is equal inside Ohio or Florida, presidential candidates avidly seek out voters in small, medium, and large towns. But theres a separate movement that calls for a compact of states to allocate all their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner, regardless of how those individual states opted in an election. To be elected president, the winner must get at least half plus one or 270 electoral votes. There was a lot of confusion over how Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. Today, electors meet in their respective states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December Dec. 14 this year to cast separate ballots for president and vice president, with the candidates who receive a majority of votes being elected. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, The Most Lopsided Presidential Elections in US History, Presidential Election of 1800 Ended in a Tie, The Election of 1824 Was Decided in the House of Representatives, How Presidents and Vice Presidents Are Elected, Election of 1800: Thomas Jefferson versus John Adams, Biography of Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States, What Is Dealignment? BY . The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. It remains one of the most surprising facts about voting in the United States: While the popular vote elects members of Congress, mayors, governors, state legislators and even more obscure local officials, it does not determine the winner of the presidency, the highest office in the land. 6. The President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election (Archives). Weve already seen this issue take place with the GOP primaries in 2016. Electoral votes are designated among the states based on Census. The National Popular Vote initiative transpired in 2006. Based on Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution granting the states the exclusive power to control how their electoral votes are awarded, the National Popular Vote plan requires the legislature of each participating state to enact a bill agreeing that the state will award all of its electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, regardless of the outcome of the popular vote in that specific state. That could change on Nov. 3 of course, because all House seats are up for election. 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? The National Popular Vote effort is now halfway to its goal of electing future presidents via the popular vote, after Rhode Island . Consequently, they decided that using the proxy votes of the well-informed electors would lessen the risk of tyranny of the majority, in which the voices of the minority are drowned out by those of the masses. In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. In all states but Maine and Nebraska, the winner of each state will take all of that state's electoral votes. The 102 extra electoral votes are calculated from allotting two votes for every state and for Washington, D.C. Would you like to get a custom essay? 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. 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. During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. Would they like to see the system changed? The Electoral College system has been a topic of debate for many years. 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. Many Americans are confused about how a win is obtained under these conditions and are on a quest to change this traditional statute. 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. 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. 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). The United States has a representative democracy rather than a direct democracy: Citizens elect representatives rather than voting on each bill. When you cast your ballot, you're not actually voting directly for your favored presidential candidate. Currently, 48 of the 50 states follow the winner-take-all rule. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. This outdated institution creates unnecessary . 5. (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). 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. There are logistical issues that are managed at the local level in each election. NAPA Net Staff. Security would be improved across the country. In a closely contested direct popular election, every precinct across the country might require close examination, rather than a handful of states or precincts. 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. This unique system of electing presidents is a big reason why Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. Candidates feel they either cant win or lose with the votes from these states. If the National Popular Vote bill was secured within the American government, it would protect every vote and would allow those votes to equally matter in the presidential election. 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. For more information on this topic, use this form to reach NCSL staff. 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. The candidate who placed second in the popular vote was elected in 2016, 2000, 1888, 1876, and 1824. Under the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system votes in small states, like Wyoming or Delaware count double what votes in large states like California or Texas. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409. The Founding Fathers chose it as a compromise between allowing Congress to choose the president and having the president elected directly by the popular vote of the people. That would give the Compact states only 3 days( and two of those days were weekend days) to certify their state votes. Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee the Right to Vote for All U.S. Citizens. When the Constitution was set in place in 1789, the U.S. elected its first president. Find the most comprehensive and complete 50-state information in NCSL's searchable bill tracking databases. Idea to keep electoral college but add 102bvotes. Probably the NPV Compact would be enacted into law with as little as a simple majority of the states and possibly even less. Texas has 38. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. 4. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. The states' approval of the compact is a victory for democracy and the principle of "one person, one vote." Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. To pass an amendment to change the Constitution the Founding Fathers wisely required approval by 2/3 of both houses of Congress and 3/4 of the state legislatures instead of a simple majority. 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. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College. Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. Abolishing the Electoral College would require a constitutional amendment, a lengthy and often unsuccessful process. Voters in spectator states, including five of the nations 10 most populous states (California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey), and 12 of the 13 least populous states (all but New Hampshire) have no real incentive to go to the polls as their votes do not affect the outcome of the election. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 6. If there is a tie vote in a states delegation, the states vote would not count. https://www.thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409 (accessed May 1, 2023). Candidates feel these states need a little bit more of their attention and apply pressure to supply these states with solutions to their problems in order to gain their vote. The National Bonus Plan was proposed by historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. We answer more than 20,000 requests for information a year. There are currently 538 electors, and to be elected, a candidate must get the votes of at least 270 electors. 2. For instance, if you have a score of 659 and are borrowing 75% of the home's value, you'll pay a fee equal to 1.5% of the loan balance whereas you'd pay no fee if you had a 780+ credit score. Contact your states liaison to schedule a briefing or to learn more. This divide creates natural divisions between groups of people who both support their country, but in different ways. SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. 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. And that would lead to chaos in how political parties campaign for president and could also undermine the legitimacy of the process. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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 official 2016 election results from the Electoral College gave Donald J. Trump the victory with 306 electoral votes v. Hillary Clinton's 232 votes. Additionally, the Founders reasoned that the system would prevent states with larger populations from having an unequal influence on the election. 1. 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. The idea has public support, but faces a partisan divide, since Republicans currently benefit from the electoral clout of less populous, rural states. That still faces an uphill climb, though. 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. Every state is allocated several votes according to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. Going to the popular vote would eliminate this issue altogether. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators 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. 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. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). (2021, Jun 14). Our experts will write for you an essay on any topic, with any deadline and requirements from scratch, Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. President Trump had earned 232 electoral . 2. All other votes cast for that candidate are therefore superfluous. (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.) 4. Retrieved from https://samploon.com/electoral-college-and-national-popular-vote-pros-and-cons/, Should the Electoral College Be Abolished, Pros for The Electoral College in the United States, Electoral College is Undemocratic but We Have no Better System, The Electoral College Should Be Terminated, The Electoral College Annotated Bibliography. Currently, Republicans control 26 state delegations, while Democrats control 22. 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. 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. Common Cause A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. Some states, such as California and Hawaii, both had their bills vetoed by their governors before it was overridden and enacted by state legislators.
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national popular vote plan pros and cons