A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors and a majority of 270 electoral votes is mandatory to nominate the President. By adding this new interstate compact to the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect our president we are in fact making this system even more complicated and even harder for the voters to understand. The senators in the U.S. Senate make up two votes in addition to the votes that represent the number of its members in the U.S. House of Representatives (Archives). 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. Pennsylvania is tied between Republican and Democratic representatives, and Michigan has seven Democrats, six Republicans and one independent. Each vote would affect each candidate instead of being overlooked due to which state those votes would be coming from. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate 2. 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. 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%. Breaking News: Biden Vetoes Congressional Resolution Blocking ESG Rule . Although many supporters of the electoral college argue that a two-party political system is more stable, some critics counter that having more than two parties would give Americans more choice. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. 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. 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. 6. There are logistical issues that are managed at the local level in each election. For the popular vote, however, Hillary Clinton received 65.8 million votes, while Donald Trump received 62.9 million votes. In a closely contested direct popular election, every precinct across the country might require close examination, rather than a handful of states or precincts. 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. (They dont always do so.). That could lead to a very bad situation where, instead of the people voting in November to determine who the next president is, one or two states could effectively decide who becomes the next president simply by joining or withdrawing from the NPV Compact and changing the rules on how the votes for president are counted in the next election. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop. The bill has crossed paths with 36 legislative chambers and has been sponsored or voted for by 3,112 state legislators (National Popular Vote). Favouring the Reform of the Electoral College. 2023 by National Conference of State Legislatures, NCSL 50-State Searchable Bill Tracking Databases, Supreme Court to Reexamine Use of Civil Asset Forfeiture. This new series from the AP is dedicated to answering commonly asked questions from our audience about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Security would be improved across the country. 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. Candidates feel they either cant win or lose with the votes from these states. Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. Start and finish your paper with ease. Gives too few states too much electoral power. Electoral College Pros and Cons Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. 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. Lastly, it may cause a third-party candidate to prevail and win, which would allow Americans to be given more choices besides the two primary parties (Richards). Each state is allowed one elector for each of its Representatives and Senators in Congress. The use of the Electoral College has been the only approach the U.S. has used to gain a President, but this way has generated numerous issues. The official general election results indicate that Trump received 304 Electoral College votes and 46.09% of the popular vote (62,984,825 votes), and Hillary Clinton received 227 Electoral College votes and 48.18% of the popular vote (65,853,516 votes). 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. 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. Without any sort of broad support, the politics of the country could become even more fractured than they already are. If there is a tie vote in a states delegation, the states vote would not count. 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. This brings us to 196 of the 270 (73%) electoral votes needed to activate the pact just 74 votes away. Here are the essential pros and cons of popular vote elections to examine. And that would lead to chaos in how political parties campaign for president and could also undermine the legitimacy of the process. NCSL conducts policy research in areas ranging from agriculture and budget and tax issues to education and health care to immigration and transportation. The Electoral College system, long a source of controversy, came under especially heavy criticism after the 2016 presidential election when Republican Donald Trump lost the nationwide popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by over 2.8 million votes but won the Electoral Collegeand thus the presidencyby 74 electoral votes. Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. 5. The House of Representatives picked Adams over Andrew Jackson, who won the popular vote but only a plurality of the Electoral College. The Electoral College vs. Popular Vote Explained - The New York Times What can they conclude from these elections? 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? All in all, the Electoral College causes many problems that seem unfair to American voters during such an important election. 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. 7. Its just like in tennis, he said. Learn more about how the National Popular Vote compact works and the ways it could make our elections better for everyone. 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. 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. 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. There are currently 538 electors, and to be elected, a candidate must get the votes of at least 270 electors. It has also happened four times out of the 56 presidential elections. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. 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. To become president of the United States of America, you must be at least 35 years old, have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years and be a natural-born citizen. 4. 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. Should the Electoral College stay or go? - PBS NewsHour Classroom 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. Reduces voter participation by creating a "my vote doesn't matter" feeling. 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact.