The Electoral College is a flawed system in which we choose our commander and chief of this country. The job of the electoral college is to determine the president and vice president. Each state has electors equal to the number of senators and representatives given to them specifically. There are 538 electors that are currently in the United States. Electors are appointed by state legislature and must be committed to a party. Electors can not be people who have previously held or are holding office, but they may be any eligible voter. After being chosen as an elector, electors meet in the state capital in December after the general election to cast their ballots. Electors may vote for whoever they would like. Every state except for Maine and Nebraska are based on a Winner-Take-All system. This means that all electoral votes in the state are given to the candidate with the majority of the votes within the state. While this system seemed to work while our government was first formed, it is now seen as unjust. While the System is flawed, it is not beyond change. Split state votes is the solution for the electoral college to develop the mindset of Americans that their vote does matter, and so minority and 3rd parties have more of a say and chance in an election than they currently do.
The Electoral College is a system stated in the Clause 2 of Section 1 in the Article II of the United States Constitution to elect the President of the United States. According to the Constitution, each state needs to appoint electors, who in turn vote to select the President. The number of electors from each state should be the same as the number of Senators and Representatives that the state entitled in the Congress. Citizens from each state choose the electors through elections. The electors then cast the citizens’ votes for the candidate they prefer. For one to be elected as the President, the candidate needs to get the greatest number of votes. In order to evaluate whether this system is effective or not in the current situation of United States, we need to understand the goals of the setting up of the Electoral College to see if the system has served its purposes. In my opinion, I believe the Electoral College is not a good idea for the United States at the moment. The reasons will be discussed in the following passages.
The Electoral College is composed of 538 people who will then choose the President and the Vice-President of the United States according to the votes of people in each state. When people vote for a president, they don’t vote for him or her directly. Voters will “be choosing which candidate receives their state’s electors” (Soni). Every state has a specific number of candidates depending on the population of the state. “The electors are appointed by the political parties in each state, so if you vote for Donald J. Trump on Tuesday, and Mr. Trump ends up winning the popular vote in your state, then electors that the Republican Party has chosen will cast votes for him in their state capitals in December” (Bromwich). Many people might think that they are voting for the president but they are not, they are voting for the electors who will then choose the President. A candidate wins the presidency when he or she get more than 270 electoral votes. This means that in order for one candidate to win a state, the need to win the electoral votes for that particular state.
The Electoral College is the process to which the United States elects the President, and the Vice President. The founders of the Constitution came up with this process. This was done to give additional power to the small states, and it was done to satisfy them. It works by the citizens of the United States electing representatives called electors. Each state is given the same amount of electors, as they are members of congress. Each elector must cast one vote for President and one vote for Vice President. In order to win the electoral college, and be nominated as President of the United States, the candidate must gain 270 of the 538 electoral votes. In an instance where no candidate receives the 270 votes needed, the House of Representatives
Several years after the United States came to be, the Constitutional Convention met to determine how the new nation should govern itself. The delegates saw that it was crucial to have a president and vice president, but the delegates did not want these offices to reflect how the colonies were treated under the British rule. The delegates believed that the president’s power should be limited, and that he should be chosen through the system known as the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a body of people who represent the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the electing of the president and vice president. Many citizens feel that the Electoral College goes against our nation’s principle of representative democracy, while others
All through the history of the United States of America, many people have discussed the abolishment of the Electoral College. For many reasons, some believe it is what makes our country have the type of government we have, some believe that it's what limits the power of the government, and many people such as Mitch McConnell believes it is what gives us our freedom and prosperity. While these are valid arguments there is a multitude of reasons to why the electoral college should be abolished. Such as there is only a need for twelve states in order to become the president, popular vote of the people for president can still lose, and the Swing states are given too much power and attention compared to that of the other states. This is why I believe in the abolishment of the Electoral College.
The number of electors in each state is equaled two plus one for each member of the House of Representatives, and Washington DC has three votes, bringing the total number of electors to 538 (“What is the Electoral College?”). It’s a well-known fact that when the public goes to vote for a candidate they also vote for the corresponding vice president. A much less well-known fact is that they are actually voting for the electors as well; by voting democratic or republican the corresponding electors for the party are elected as well (“Electoral College” 2010). Then on the Monday after the second Wednesday of December the electors assemble in a central location in each state and cast their votes for president. In forty-eight states, there is a “winner-take-all-system” where the highest vote getter in the state gets all the electoral votes, however in two states, Maine and Nebraska, there is a proportionality system in place; where if one third of the votes are for one party and two thirds are for another, the electors will split and one third of the state electoral votes will go to one party and the rest will go to another (“What is the Electoral College?”).
Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to voting for president, the United States runs on an indirect democracy. This means that we do not directly choose our president; the electoral college is rather an example of federalism, both the Feds and the States are involved in the process. It is a collection of 538 votes that determine who the President will be: 100 senators, 2 per state, and 438 representatives, distributed by the population. These 538 votes in the Electoral College are divided among the states. Each state, no matter how populous or not, starts off with three votes. The remaining votes depend on the population of the state. The more people a state has, the more votes it gets. In early November, when citizens go to the polls,
A voting U.S. citizen does not directly elect the President and Vice President; instead, these voters directly elect designated intermediaries called "electors," who almost always have pledged to vote for particular presidential and vice presidential candidates. Many Americans believe that their vote directly affects who leads the election but that is simply not true. They are voting for their state Electoral College to vote for that candidate. The Electoral College was made way back when, so it has its pros and cons. Is this the right way to vote for the president of the United States. Overall, should the Electoral College stay in place or should it be replaced?
When the Founding Fathers created the Electoral College, it was not a time of the Internet and smartphones; colonists could not find information about a presidential candidate with the swipe of a finger. In fact, the eighteenth century version of CNN was a postman on horseback. Because colonists lacked access to political information, the founders felt voters could not be fully trusted with the duty of electing a president. However, this is where electors became a crucial aspect of the voting process (Mahler and Eder). In a time of advanced technology, voters today can be trusted to make their own choices. Over the past 240 years, America has made many technological and social advancements, yet our electoral system remains cemented in the past.
I believe that we should not have an electoral college and depend on them. There are numerous reasons why I think this. It does not allow us to have a fair way to vote and it doesnt let everyone be heard.
In 1787, years after the founding of the United States, the Constitutional Convention met to decide how the new nation would govern itself. The delegates understood that the need for a leader was necessary but still bitterly remembered how Britain abused of its power. The delegates agreed that the President and Vice President should be chosen informally and not based on the direct popular vote, thus gave birth to the Electoral College. The Electoral College is defined as “a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.” Since 1787 the Electoral College has been the system for voting in the United States, but with our nation ever more changing and growing it
In my own words some of the pros and cons of the Electoral College are as followed and explained. My pros are that it maintains the federalist system, and allows for minority interests to be represented. It helps maintain the federalist system by keeping all of the branches of government equal. It helps allow for minority interests to be represented by helping the interest and have the ability to be represented and backed up by bigger parties to help get votes. My cons of the Electoral College are that is does not reflect the popular vote, and lowers voter turnout. The way is doesn’t reflect popular vote is because people think that their vote doesn’t matter to the voting of the president. The way it lowers the turnout is because it makes
The United States of America has a rich history filled with success, failure, courage, and drive. Millions have come seeking the “American Dream” and to live in the land of the free. The past is what has shaped this nation’s present and future. Yet, as time drifts, the world around us changes. What was once deemed acceptable can now seem outdated in today’s society. The recent 2016 Election was controversial and showcased just how divide our nation has become. The results of the election surprised many who believed there was no possible way Donald Trump would be elected president. This unraveled tension was met with uproar and confusion. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote whereas Donald Trump won the electoral vote, thus making him the President-elect
(National Archives and Records Administration) In other words, it’s an indirect system for electing the U.S. President by using Electoral votes or an Indirect Democracy. This process created a balance between the power of Congress and the people. The process of the Electoral College, explained in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, starts with 538 electors because of the number senators and U.S. representatives in Congress, including three electors who represent the District of Columbia.