Bring about direct popular election of pres and do within change. 6. Removing this system could encourage more people to come out to support their candidate. By continuing well assume youre on board with our, https://samploon.com/electoral-college-and-national-popular-vote-pros-and-cons/, Select a writer from a large pool of experts. 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. And that would lead to chaos in how political parties campaign for president and could also undermine the legitimacy of the process. Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. Inside Ohio or Florida, to pick two examples, the big cities do not receive all the attention, and they certainly do not control the outcome. Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. It would reduce diversity in the election structures. This new series from the AP is dedicated to answering commonly asked questions from our audience about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The Electoral College system has been a topic of debate for many years. Because of how the system is set up, it is possible for one candidate to win the popular vote and another to win the electoral vote. If you need 321 electoral votes to win, and you can get 102 by winning the national 354 popular plurality, you need only 219 of the state electoral votes. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. 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. The National Popular Vote Plan to Bypass the Electoral College Around six-in-ten U.S. adults (63%) say the way the president is elected should be changed so that the winner of the popular vote nationwide wins the presidency, while 35% favor keeping the current Electoral College system, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted June 27-July 4, 2022. Thats a bank of about 14 million potential voters that reliably vote as a majority for Democratic candidates. One route would be a constitutional amendment, which would require two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate and ratification by the states, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures. If the presidential election were switched to the popular vote, then it would only take about 35% of the vote for a candidate to win. With the polarization in global politics today, especially in the United States, a switch to the popular vote would likely increase costs even further. There would be a reduced need to build coalitions. 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 In the 2016 election, "swing states" that might vote Republican or Democrat like Wisconsin were targets of candidates Donald J. Trump and Hillary R. Clinton. Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. The discussion around using the popular vote for elections has increased since the results of the 2016 election. Thus, the National Popular Vote plan will take effect when enacted by states controlling an additional 74 electoral votes. People are moving to live in like-minded communities more than ever before. Sets found in the same folder. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. This brings us to 196 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the pact. And in 1888, Benjamin Harrison defeated the incumbent president, Grover Cleveland, in the Electoral College, despite losing the popular vote. Rebekah Richards is a professional writer with work published in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "Brandeis University Law Journal" and online at tolerance.org. They have only won the popular vote once. The National Popular Vote Plan is an alternative system that would still use electors to cast their votes but instead it would give each state's votes to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote. This divide creates natural divisions between groups of people who both support their country, but in different ways. The pros and cons of raising the debt ceiling - Yahoo News That means every state is allowed a minimum of 3 electoral votes. In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. When you vote for a presidential candidate, you are actually voting for a group of electors from your state who have all pledged to vote for your candidate. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College. "Electoral College Pros and Cons." Under the electoral college system of voting, the number of representatives a state has in Congress (Senators and Representatives) is the total number of electoral votes it is allowed. States boyd, william j.d., "electoral college system challenged." national civic review 55.9 (1966): 519-23. Often ignored, Americans had a lesson on the workings of the Electoral College after the 2000 election, in which Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush became president. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. Weve already seen this issue take place with the GOP primaries in 2016. While it has provided a stable and predictable framework for presidential elections, it has also produced several controversial outcomes. Using a popular vote system, candidates could campaign regionally, targeting major areas of support, to secure enough votes to win an election. There are logistical issues that are managed at the local level in each election. A popular vote election would bring the presidential election in line with the rest of the election structures. 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. Majority supports changing Electoral College system for U.S 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. All in all, the Electoral College causes many problems that seem unfair to American voters during such an important election. Here are the essential pros and cons of popular vote elections to examine. Two-thirds of the campaign events were in four states, Florida, Iowa, Virginia, and Ohio, that year. cons of the national popular vote planproperty management without a license in texas aot 4, 2022 12:34 . 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. Surprisingly enough, the National Popular Vote bill could possibly bring forth some problems. Many people may feel that any major change in how we elect the president should be in the Constitution and not in a legal loop hole even if its legal and technically constitutional. Second, some believe itll intensify election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout (Richards). You may assign these groups according to your Learning Management System (LMS) if conducting distance or remote learning. Elections Webinar 1 2 3 . On Dec. 14, as electors gathered across the country to cast their ballots, Joseph R. Biden Jr. had earned 306 electoral votes, 36 more than needed to win. That means the cost of counting all the votes would be duplicated. While we look further into the National Popular Vote, lets investigate some of its pro and cons for the American democracy. The 102 extra electoral votes are calculated from allotting two votes for every state and for Washington, D.C. 1. Longley, Robert. The NPV Interstate Compact does not eliminate the very complicated Electoral College system that most voters dont really understand. That would give the Compact states only 3 days( and two of those days were weekend days) to certify their state votes. Washington, DC 20005, Constitution, Courts & Other Democracy Issues, Ensure Fair Districts & Reflective Democracy, Expand Voting Rights & Election Integrity, Promote Free Speech & Accountability in Media, Protect the Constitution, Courts & Other Democracy Reforms. Although it is sometimes conjectured that a national popular election would focus only on big cities, it is clear that this would not be the case. In contrast, in a direct popular election, each vote matters equally. Battleground states would disappear in U.S. elections. NAPA Net Staff. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. What are some of the main advantages and disadvantages of the Electoral College? Proposed Reforms to the Electoral College. Make a contribution to support Common Cause today. BY . Longley, Robert. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. WASHINGTON (AP) WHY IS IT THAT ONE CANDIDATE CAN WIN THE POPULAR VOTE BUT ANOTHER WINS THE ELECTORAL VOTE AND THUS THE PRESIDENCY? Americans are still bent up and flustered on how an individual could lose the popular vote, but still, be given the upper hand in Electoral College votes. Processes vary from state to state, with some choosing electors during state Republican and Democratic conventions. Even the minority party wouldnt be encouraged to negotiate because they could simply stall until the next election. 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. 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. Each vote would affect each candidate instead of being overlooked due to which state those votes would be coming from. Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons What Is the National Bonus Plan? - reference.com NCSL actively tracks more than 1,400 issue areas. But she lost the presidency due to Trumps winning margin in the Electoral College, which came after he pulled out narrow victories in less populated Midwestern states like Michigan and Wisconsin. When you cast your ballot, you're not actually voting directly for your favored presidential candidate. The Pros and Cons of Pooled Employer Plans: Debate. The first advantage allows for electoral votes to be fairer than the Electoral College (Richards). The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It could encourage voter turnout. Analysis of the Congressional-District Method of Awarding Electoral Votes Great Smoky Mountains National Park crews battle rough terrain in National popular vote - Ballotpedia In Election 2000, the eight most populous states had 228. A total of 538 electoral votes are in play across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. 2023 by National Conference of State Legislatures, NCSL 50-State Searchable Bill Tracking Databases, Supreme Court to Reexamine Use of Civil Asset Forfeiture. They will do as promised if the candidates do a very good job vetting them and picking people who are rock-solid, Professor Amar said. 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. 4 terms. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. In the 2016 election, only 58 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. At the moment, 98 more electoral votes are needed to pass this bill in all 50 states (National Conference of State Legislators). popular vote pros and cons-shootings in south dallasshootings in south dallas In 2016, for instance, Democrat Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than Trump in the presidential election, after racking up more lopsided wins in big states like New York and California. The National Popular Vote effort is now halfway to its goal of electing future presidents via the popular vote, after Rhode Island . Other presidents who lost the popular vote but won the presidency include John Quincy Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes in the elections of 1824 and 1876. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. Despite the name, it is not a college in the modern educational sense, but refers to a collegium or group of colleagues. 8. But in practice it could happen every 10 or 20 years when the Electoral College votes change because the congressional boundaries change with the new population census. The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. Scholarly Articles on the Electoral College: History & Definitions All samples were added by students. As of July 2020, a National Popular Vote bill has been signed into law in 16 states controlling a total of 196 electoral votes, including 4 small states, 8 medium-sized states, 3 big states (California, Illinois, and New York), and the District of Columbia. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2023 NewsHour Production LLC. Should the Electoral College stay or go? - PBS NewsHour Classroom That means a candidate who receives a majority of their votes in a high-delegate state, such as California, could make a dramatic impact on the rest of the election. As of now, 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Delaware and Oregon. The only election in the United States which is not governed by the popular vote is the presidential election. The Supreme Court has said in local and state elections voting should be based on the principle of one person one vote. The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. It would reduce the influence of third parties on the U.S. presidential election. The National Popular Vote (NPV) refers to the concept of allocating a state's presidential electors to the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide regardless of the state results in a presidential election. Four candidates in history have won the popular vote only to be denied the presidency by the Electoral College. Once effective, states could withdraw from the compact at any time except during the six-month window between July 20 of an election year and Inauguration Day (January 20). Under the current structure of presidential elections in the U.S., the states become a battleground of red states vs. blue states. The electoral college is a group of electors, outlined and defined in the United States Constitution, established for the purpose of electing the president and vice-president. Change). According to the Constitution, the Electoral College is a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens (National Archives). Understand how the Electoral College system works. For example, if a candidate was very popular in New York City, Los Angeles and other large cities, she might not need to earn votes from other areas of the country. Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. 2. The National Association of Plan Advisors is a non-profit professional society. 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. (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.) For example, if a state used NPV and voted for candidate A, but candidate B received the most votes nationwide, the state would allocate its presidential electors to candidate B. 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 gives each vote an equal amount of power. 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? Samploon is a database of free essay samples. In 2016, for instance, Democrat Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than Trump in the presidential election, after racking up more lopsided wins in big states like New York and California. Should that happen, then the final decision of who gets to serve as President of the United States is taken away from individual voters. 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. 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 Electoral College was devised at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The National Popular Vote would go into effect when states controlling 270a simple majorityof the total 538 electoral votes. Currently, the National Popular Vote bill has 172 electoral votes. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators 4. Since 2008, 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), which is an multi-state agreement to commit electors to. (They dont always do so.). When a popular vote is held for a national office, the election becomes more about platform issues than local issues. The Electoral College also inspires many what-if scenarios, some of them more likely than others. The National Popular Vote; States in the National Popular Vote Compact; Voter Trends in 2016; Public Opinion on the Electoral College; What Congress Is Doing on the Electoral College; Pros & Cons of Ending Surprise Medical Billing; Pros & Cons of Mail-In Voting; Pros & Cons of Ending Surprise Medical Billing; PROs. 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. America is known to have the costliest, prolonged, and complicated structure when electing a head of state. Many of these states dont participate in campaign visits or get televised ads. Probably the NPV Compact would be enacted into law with as little as a simple majority of the states and possibly even less. This unique system of electing presidents is a big reason why Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. Or the opposite could be true. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). Cons of Electoral College. The National Popular Vote, Explained | Brennan Center for Justice However, there are proposals to reform the Electoral College without abolishing it. The proportional plan retains electoral votes, but awards the votes in each state based on the percentage of votes received in each state (regardless of the districts from which the voters come) by the competing . PEPsHot or Not? The Pros and Cons of Pooled Employer Plans: Debate Pro: It's the only way to avoid defaulting. That would increase the amount of polarization being experienced in politics today because there would be less of a need to compromise. Some critics argue that more people would vote in a direct popular election, according to the University of the Pacific. 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. Some states replace electors and cancel their votes if they break their pledge. A direct popular election also ensures that citizens' votes have equal weight. ; Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. What surprised them? However, many people believe that a direct popular election is more democratic and fair than the Electoral College. In the early 19th century, many states ratified an approach that would allow the candidate with the most votes in that state to be the winner. The Electoral College was established in the Constitution to protect minority interests and mitigate the possibility of a regional candidate. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. National Popular Vote Fix the Broken Electoral College. National popular vote plan. ThoughtCo. That principle should be expanded to presidential elections. Adam_Strukowski. Each state is allowed one elector for each of its Representatives and Senators in Congress. Under the Electoral College system, voters in states that are overwhelmingly in support of one candidate might feel like their vote is unimportant. A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. Some states list electors names on the general election ballot. Fellows will focus on important federal legislation, and find ways they can improve their state's child welfare program. National Popular Vote Movement - Common Cause | Get Involved 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact. How could this happen? The amendment requires that any change to the rate of compensation for members of Congress can only take effect after a subsequent election in the House of Representatives. This leads to an intense focus on battleground states, as candidates look to boost their electoral advantage by targeting states that can help them reach the needed 270 votes of the 538 up for grabs. That still faces an uphill climb, though. They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. 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. In 2016, Gary Johnson received 4.48 million votes and 0 electoral votes, but the potential is always there for this to happen. 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. Pennsylvania is tied between Republican and Democratic representatives, and Michigan has seven Democrats, six Republicans and one independent. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Bush and Al Gore (Black). What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? The last amendment, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, was ratified nearly 200 years after it was originally proposed. The National Popular Vote stems from the winner-take-all approach that validates the presidential candidate interactions with only 4 out of 50 dates during their campaign. Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. Students share their findings. But . To determine the National Popular Vote winner, state election officials simply would tally the nationwide vote for president based on each states official results. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. 5. 4. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. At that stage, anyone who received an electoral vote is eligible to become the next president. The important number is 270. Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. Everything You Need to Know About the National Popular Vote Interstate For more information on this topic, use this form to reach NCSL staff. This text is available online and is used for gudiance and inspiration, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Electors are chosen every four years in the months leading up to Election Day by their respective states political parties. 27 Major Pros & Cons Of The Electoral College - E&C NCSL Child Welfare Fellows program is designed to support legislators and legislative staff who are experienced or emerging leaders in child welfare policy. Breaking News: Biden Vetoes Congressional Resolution Blocking ESG Rule . 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.

Does Mary Beth Like Arthur?, Scottish Weather Presenters Bbc, Donnie Kirksey Obituary, House For Rent Pittsboro, Nc, Articles N