Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. 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. cons of the national popular vote planchicago religious demographics. A popular vote election would bring the presidential election in line with the rest of the election structures. There are a number of pros for this method. And unlike direct elections, either would provide an incentive for grass-roots activity, coalition building and enhanced citizen participation. The compact is designed to ensure that the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide is elected president, and it . Post author: Post published: June 29, 2022 Post category: Uncategorized Post comments: paris apartment eiffel tower view for sale paris apartment eiffel tower view for sale (2021, Jun 14). To determine the National Popular Vote winner, state election officials simply would tally the nationwide vote for president based on each states official results. A candidate can win the popular vote in enough states to win a majority of electoral votes but still lose the popular vote nationally. Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. Security would be improved across the country. During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. Longley, Robert. Published: Mar. 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. However, some critics argue that the advantages of a direct popular election including reflecting democratic principals, outweigh the disadvantages. 1. When you cast your ballot, you're not actually voting directly for your favored presidential candidate. That would increase the amount of polarization being experienced in politics today because there would be less of a need to compromise. Due to some states being heavily populated in comparison to others, that may help a candidate quickly obtain a win. Under the system of proportional representation, any party with a high enough percentage of the vote will receive a seat in the government. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Feb 25, 2023. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Currently, the National Popular Vote bill has 172 electoral votes. This brings us to 196 of the 270 (73%) electoral votes needed to activate the pact just 74 votes away. This feature is critical to the passionate bipartisan support the compact receives. Under the electoral college system, if a state consistently pulls as leaning to one party, someone who supports the other party may not vote because they feel like there isnt a need to do so. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. 1. 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. Even though pre-election polls made conspicuous predictions of Hilary Clinton winning the presidency and . 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. Either would provide a reason for both parties to compete in most states because there would be electors to win. 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. It would require an Amendment in the U.S. for presidential elections. State Question 820 lays out a statutory framework for a recreational industry that would begin about 90 days after election results are certified. National Popular Vote values rural and urban voters equally. It would reduce diversity in the election structures. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. The NPVIC is an agreement among states designed to guarantee election of the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. NPV is grounded in two powers delegated to states by the Constitution: the power to design rules for awarding their electoral votes and the power to enter into interstate Over the years, the National Popular Vote bill has been introduced in the legislatures of all 50 states. 13 Early College High School Pros and Cons, 18 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of the Payback Period, 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing a Car, 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing, 24 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of a C Corporation, 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediation, 18 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gated Community, 17 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups, 17 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Bonds, 19 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities, 17 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising. But for those people who feel that changing how we elect the president should only be done by constitutional amendment they will feel that using the NPV Compact will undermine the legitimacy of the process even though its perfectly legal and constitutional. 1. All states could adopt the system that now exists in Maine and Nebraska, where all but two electors are chosen by congressional district, and the other two go to the statewide winner. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. Now, the states are considering the National Popular Vote plan, a system that, while not doing away with the Electoral College system, would modify it to ensure that the candidate winning the national popular vote is ultimately elected president. Today the Democrats want to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system with a direct popular vote and the Republicans adamantly want to keep it. Here are the Cons of the Electoral College 1. Probably the NPV Compact would be enacted into law with as little as a simple majority of the states and possibly even less. National Popular Vote (NPV) was founded in 2006 by lottery scratch-card inventor John Koza and election lawyer Barry Fadem to lobby for an "interstate compact" for states to deliver their electoral votes for President to the "winner" of the national popular vote. Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. Though the original, some would say highly undemocratic, purpose. There are alternatives to winner-take-all that do not involve abandoning the positive aspects of the Electoral College. This was the intent of the Founding Fathers. It would eliminate the Congressional provisions for a non-majority election. (LogOut/ June 7, 2022 . Even the minority party wouldnt be encouraged to negotiate because they could simply stall until the next election. Explains kimberling, william c., and dave leip's . As the National Popular Vote (NPV) movement steps up its effort to impose a direct election for president, attempting to enlist states with a sufficient number of electors to constitute a majority (268) and to bind them to the winner of the national popular vote, those states considering the proposal might first reflect on the nightmare aftermath (LogOut/ By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Our experts will write for you an essay on any topic, with any deadline and requirements from scratch, Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons. The National Popular Vote Bill is a bill for Americans interested in both preserving our Electoral College and reforming the shortcomings of our current "winner-take-all" system that awards all the electors of one state to the candidate who wins in that particular state and . Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. 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. It is not even a liberal or conservative bill. Con:not Eliminate possibility that loser of the popular vote can still win the electoral vote The Proportional Plan A proposed reform where each presidential candidate would receive the percent of electoral votes that they win from each state Proportional Plan Pro:Possible for loser of popular vote to win presidency. It would reduce the threshold necessary to win the office. America is known to have the costliest, prolonged, and complicated structure when electing a head of state. But sometime in the future the popular vote will change back and lean Republican. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. On average, studies show that falls in line with historical averages showing around 60 percent of eligible voters casting a vote in presidential election years. A faithless elector in the United States is someone who casts an electoral ballot for someone other than the individuals to whom they are pledged. The time to stop its momentum is now. The National Popular Vote bill will take effect when enacted into law by states possessing 270 electoral votes a majority of the current 538 electoral votes. 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. 7. The selection of presidential electors is specifically entrusted to the states by the Constitution. Is the National Popular Vote Plan Constitutional? For more information, please see our Under the current structure of the electoral college, the focus of a presidential campaign is on the so-called battleground states. 9. Many cities and school districts, under threat of a lawsuit by a Malibu attorney, have already adopted or are in the process of changing to district elections rather than remaining citywide or . 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Lastly, some Americans believe that there would be an increase in voter turn-out if people felt that their vote was viewed as a significant asset to their country. The itineraries of presidential candidates in battleground states (and their allocation of other campaign resources) demonstrate what every gubernatorial or senatorial candidate in every state already knows namely that when every vote matters, the campaign must be run in every part of the state. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. In 2004, for example, candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry campaigned heavily in states such as Nevada while ignoring political issues in New York, a state that Kerry was sure to win, according to the University of the Pacific. 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. I am confident that when we enter the next phase where the popular vote leans Republican that Republicans will change and be adamant that we should elect the president by direct popular vote and Democrats will be arguing why we should keep the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system. sale of united methodist church property. 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). However, many people believe that a direct popular election is more democratic and fair than the Electoral College. Bosque de Palabras pros and cons." dave leip's atlas of u.s. presidential elections. Today, the fact that Nebraska and Maine do not use the winner-take-all system serves as proof that modifying the Electoral College system, as proposed by the National Popular Vote plan is constitutional and does not require a constitutional amendment. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. 3. 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%. NCSL's experts are here to answer your questions and give you unbiased, comprehensive information as soon as you need it on issues facing state legislatures. 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. Would it aid a fight to eliminate first past the post or would it further entrench the established party system voters American voters have expressed disdain for. The National Popular Vote effort, explained The National Popular Vote effort is now halfway to its goal of electing future presidents via the popular vote, after Rhode Island Gov. 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 (See: Electoral Votes by State). Then, election officials in all participating states would choose the electors sworn to support thepresidential candidate who received the largest number of popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. But the biggest problem with changing how we elect our president using the NPV Compact is that its too easy to change it back. Web. . (2020, December 16). In 2016, Gary Johnson received 4.48 million votes and 0 electoral votes, but the potential is always there for this to happen. In contrast, in a direct popular election, each vote matters equally. Under the electoral college, the majority votes of states assign electoral votes to a candidate, which then creates a majority total required for a victory. cons of the national popular vote plan. Because a direct election would be, by definition, national and resource allocation would be overwhelmingly dominated by paid television advertising, there would be little impetus for grass-roots activity. Lastly, the biggest problem that the Electoral College produces is the reality that a persons vote really doesnt matter (Black). It would be a national mandate to put someone in office, even if that winning candidate received less than 50% of the vote. It is also true that no president since 1824 has received the votes of a majority of the eligible voters and 18 presidents, including Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, John. 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. 12th Amendment: Fixing the Electoral College, What Is Majoritarianism? Without the popular vote bill, swing states would continue to get more leverage and attention from candidates to ensure that they would be able to capture their votes. Louisiana voters should decide who receives Louisiana's electoral votes. Under the Electoral College system, voters in states that are overwhelmingly in support of one candidate might feel like their vote is unimportant. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. That created a voter value of 2.85. And that would undermine the legitimacy of the NPV among those people. In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore won the popular vote by more than 500,000 ballots, but George Bush became president by winning the Electoral College 271 to 266. Either would likely produce an electoral vote count closer to the popular vote. April 8, 2016 National popular vote far better than Electoral College system for choosing presidents, Stanford professors say. "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. A plan to enact the National Popular Vote was introduced in the Michigan Legislature on Wednesday. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. That means the cost of counting all the votes would be duplicated. There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an election. Longley, Robert. National Popular Vote will create a single member district (all 50 states and D.C.), where the candidate with the most votes wins and . As a result, the bill will take effect when enacted by states possessing an additional 74 electoral votes. They have only won the popular vote once. 4. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. This is a situation that has caused controversy in the election years of of 1800, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 when the elected president won the Electoral College and the presidency but did not win the popular vote. 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. 6. There are pros and cons to both systems. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. It would limit the influence of local issues in the election. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. First it would be relatively easy to implement. In theory that could happen every four years. Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. every decade states are redistricted could be redrawn to capture house seats and corrupt the Presidential election 3. In countries where the concept of popular votes is in place, every vote has an equal weight regarding the election outcome. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some . Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The NPV is a multi-state agreement that, when active, would ensure that the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote nationally also wins in the Electoral College. Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. Our state will likely vote overwhelmingly for the Republican challenger to Barack Obama in November. A simple change in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could fix the flaw and still provide the benefits of a popular election. 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. Without any sort of broad support, the politics of the country could become even more fractured than they already are. http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. List of the Cons of Proportional Representation. The votes of those who do not live in closely divided battleground states effectively count less. The popular vote currently gives every citizenCalifornians and Texans, Hawaiians and Mainers, Alabamans and Oregoniansan equal say in choosing the president. 1. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). 5. It could help to reduce partisanship. The National Bonus Plan maintains the Electoral College voting system but adds 102 bonus electoral votes to the existing 538 votes. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, What Is Statutory Law? It gives each vote an equal amount of power. That means every state is allowed a minimum of 3 electoral votes. However that presumably rare exception happened in the 2000 election when Florida could not complete their statewide recount in time for the Electoral College deadline and the Supreme Court forced Florida to use their first vote count without a statewide recount. Like most issues involving politics, the U.S. Constitution is largely silent on the political issues of presidential elections. The winner would receive one vote per congressional district won with the winner of the state popular vote gaining a two electoral votes. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahomans will head to the polls March 7 to decide if the state will become the 22nd in the country to legalize recreational marijuana for use by anyone 21 and older. Electoral college reform proposals include (1) the district plan, awarding each state's two at-large electoral votes to the statewide popular vote winners, and one electoral vote to the winning candidates in each congressional district; (2) the proportional plan, awarding electoral votes in states in direct proportion to the popular vote gained Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz often split about 60% of the GOP vote, which allowed Donald Trump to win early primaries with 35% of the vote. Note: Today we are in a phase where the popular vote in presidential elections leans Democratic. After all, the Electoral College makes it possible that a candidate who wins the majority of the votes could still lose the election. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Electoral votes are designated among the states based on Census. Because its so hard to get an amendment to the Constitution passed that means that once it becomes law it will probably remain so for a long time because the bar to change it back is so high. On a close popular vote, often defined as a difference of 0.5% or less in the tabulated results, an automatic recount would likely be triggered. Cons of Electoral College. Many of these states dont participate in campaign visits or get televised ads. 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. 10 Apr. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. On April 15, 2014 Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State quietly signed into law the National Popular Vote, making New York the 10th state -- along with the District of Columbia -- to support this effort, while also boosting the total numbers to 165 of the 270 electoral votes needed to make a true national popular vote a reality. That's almost 1.5 billion . It is perhaps the most simplistic form of an election. Here is the entire text of the proposed "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote." Tweet Email this More on The Electoral College: Honorable Steve Cohen 2. 5. The first advantage allows for electoral votes to be fairer than the Electoral College (Richards). It has also happened four times out of the 56 presidential elections. After the 2016 presidential election, political science expert Nate Silver wrote that, since the swing states are not likely to support any plan that might reduce their influence over control of the White House, the National Popular Vote bill will not succeed unless the predominately Republican red states adopt it. Although this may limit the amount of diversity that occurs in office, and may generate extra financial costs, the argument could be made that these risks outweigh the results of an election where a majority of states, not a majority of people, put someone into office. . For the popular vote, however, Hillary Clinton received 65.8 million votes, while Donald Trump received 62.9 million votes. Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact In the 2016 Presidential Election if the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact had been in effect the winner of the national popular vote, Hillary Clinton, would have become president instead of Donald Trump. A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. And that would lead to chaos in how political parties campaign for president and could also undermine the legitimacy of the process. Definition and Examples. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. 2. Under the plan, Michigan's 15 Electoral . 2015. The election is held every four years on the first Tuesday in November and prior to election day, the two candidates endure state-level primaries, caucuses, debates, and conventions.
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