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The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College

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John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon both competed in the 1960 presidential election. This election allegedly represents the Electoral College functioning as designed. Even though Kennedy lost the popular vote by a small margin, he won most of the electoral votes. As a result, he was elected President. He won regardless of the electoral college in minor addition to the overwhelming majority of the crucial states (History). The Electoral College allows the United States to vote for the President and Vice President. Instead of being voted directly by the people, each state selects electors to vote for the President (Lau). The system has been in place since the country's founding and has been the subject of much debate over the years. While some …show more content…

While there are valid arguments against the Electoral College, it remains a vital component of the American political system. One significant criticism of the Electoral College is that it increases the likelihood of a political candidate securing the presidency without receiving a large majority of the vote. Given this, people must remember why the founding fathers proposed the Electoral College. It was a way to ensure that all states, not just the ones with the most people, have a say in the election (Kirch). Without the Electoral College, candidates will be slightly more motivated to run for office in less populated states because such states' challenges and needs will likely go unmet. Additionally, the Electoral College helps to prevent alleged fraud and political corruption by making it more difficult to manipulate the election results (Ross). While there are valid criticisms of the Electoral College, it remains an important safeguard against the tyranny of the majority and an essential part of our …show more content…

The system allows states to select a specific number of electors based merely on population. This announces political states with reduced populations a more valuable opportunity to secure the contested election than they would under a popular vote (Kirch). This helps ensure that all states' interests are represented, rather than just those with the most massive populations. Also, the fact that each state obtains its electors means that the election is controlled by several authorities, with each state responsible for its election. This helps prevent any condition or region from possessing all the power in an election. The Electoral College restores more populous states from retaining an unqualified influence over election outcomes. Put differently, it ensures that candidates need to earn broad support across many different regions and independent states to win the presidency rather than just focusing on a few densely populated areas. Not only but also, the Electoral College system incentivizes campaigns to visit and engage with voters in various states, including those with more limited populations, rather than solely focusing on the most populated areas (Miller). Finally, the Electoral College is designed to prevent any one state or region from dominating the election outcomes. This is because each state is

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