Electoral College: A Trouble Prone And Undemocratic System
The Electoral College: A Trouble Prone and Undemocratic System
The Electoral College is an institution that may have served a purpose 200 years ago when the founding fathers needed a system that would be met with approval by both large and small states. The Electoral College is a flawed method of electing our President that has created problems in previous elections and is likely to be the source of problems in the future. The Electoral College provides an undemocratic method of choosing our president that potentially undermines the will of the voters. Not only can a candidate be elected without actually winning the most votes, it puts our elections at the mercy of electors who don't always cast their vote as pledged. I intend to demonstrate that the problems inherent in this voting method far outweigh any benefits it may provide. Replacing the winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes with a system such as proportional representation or eliminating the college altogether in favor of direct election is the best way to ensure a trouble-free and fair election …show more content…
Since a state receives the same number of electoral votes regardless of voter turnout, there is no incentive for a state to encourage voter participation (Kimberling 14). In addition, politicians do not have to devote as much attention to certain states. States such as California and New York are usually considered "safe" for a certain party and receive less campaigning effort than swing states ("Electoral Reform").
Much of the dialogue on whether the Electoral College should be eliminated stems from the fact that a candidate can win the presidency despite receiving fewer popular votes than his opponent. There have been four instances where a candidate has won the election without winning the popular contest: John Quincy Adams in 1824,
Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and George W. Bush in 2000
The Electoral College is an institution that may have served a purpose 200 years ago when the founding fathers needed a system that would be met with approval by both large and small states. The Electoral College is a flawed method of electing our President that has created problems in previous elections and is likely to be the source of problems in the future. The Electoral College provides an undemocratic method of choosing our president that potentially undermines the will of the voters. Not only can a candidate be elected without actually winning the most votes, it puts our elections at the mercy of electors who don't always cast their vote as pledged. I intend to demonstrate that the problems inherent in this voting method far outweigh any benefits it may provide. Replacing the winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes with a system such as proportional representation or eliminating the college altogether in favor of direct election is the best way to ensure a trouble-free and fair election …show more content…
Since a state receives the same number of electoral votes regardless of voter turnout, there is no incentive for a state to encourage voter participation (Kimberling 14). In addition, politicians do not have to devote as much attention to certain states. States such as California and New York are usually considered "safe" for a certain party and receive less campaigning effort than swing states ("Electoral Reform").
Much of the dialogue on whether the Electoral College should be eliminated stems from the fact that a candidate can win the presidency despite receiving fewer popular votes than his opponent. There have been four instances where a candidate has won the election without winning the popular contest: John Quincy Adams in 1824,
Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and George W. Bush in 2000