A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. An electoral college would solve . ThoughtCo. With a popular vote in place, each election win would be decreed a mandate to follow the platform of the winning party. Steve Sisolak vetoed it. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. The Electoral College system, however imperfect, serves this broader view of democracy. It is not at all clear that it would similarly prosper under the direct election regime being pushed by NPV. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had more than 10 million of these votes, while Donald Trump had more than 8.3 million, even though Trump won 30 states and Clinton won 20 and the District of Columbia. Many of these states dont participate in campaign visits or get televised ads. Battleground states would disappear in U.S. elections. 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. Because of the winner-take-all rule, a candidate can be elected president without winning the most popular votes nationwide. Over the long run the countrys popular vote in presidential elections has roughly been equally split between Republican and Democratic.*. Moving to the popular vote structure would eliminate this potential issue. In the 2020 election California did not certify their votes until Friday, December 11, only 3 days before the Electoral College met on Monday, December, 14. Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. Because there was a difference of less than 1,000 tabulated votes between George W. Bush and Al Gore in one state, Florida, the nation watched as 6 million votes were recounted by machine, several hundred thousand were recounted by hand in counties with differing recount standards, partisan litigators fought each other in state and federal courts, the secretary of state backed by the majority of state legislators (all Republicans) warred with the state's majority Democratic judiciary -- until 37 days after the election the U.S. Supreme Court, in a bitterly controversial 5-4 decision effectively declared Bush the winner. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. In the 2020 general election, a ballot proposition attempted to overturn Colorado's membership to the pact, but the measure failed, 52.3% to 47.7% in the referendum. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. NCSL conducts policy research in areas ranging from agriculture and budget and tax issues to education and health care to immigration and transportation. This has occurred in only four of the 58 presidential . Wyoming had just 3 electoral votes, but only had 255,000 voters as well. People are moving to live in like-minded communities more than ever before. All samples were added by students. Longley, Robert. Electing a president who did not have broad regional support could lead to a fractured and less cohesive country, according to the Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. It sees a healthy and vibrant democracy needing the underpinnings of civil society that rests on the sustained and active engagement of the citizenry and promotes approaches that seek to maximize that involvement. 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. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. 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. It happened once, in 1876. (2021, Jun 14). Security would be improved across the country. Thats a bank of about 14 million potential voters that reliably vote as a majority for Democratic candidates. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some . 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). It makes things easier for extreme parties to gain representation. During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. 1. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. 1. Just another site cons of the national popular vote plan . All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. Each vote would affect each candidate instead of being overlooked due to which state those votes would be coming from. The Constitution specifically leaves details like how the electoral votes are cast up to the states. mike matarazzo last photo. 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. Using the NPV system means that every vote counts the same. cons of the national popular vote plan. The electoral requires that an election which does not receive a majority of electoral votes be taken into the U.S. House of Representatives. Lastly, the biggest problem that the Electoral College produces is the reality that a persons vote really doesnt matter (Black). 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. But if some non-member Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. 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. 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. This feature is critical to the passionate bipartisan support the compact receives. The electoral college encourages a two-party system and rewards candidates who have broad appeal. 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. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, What Is Statutory Law? The country could become less stable and divided if he or she did not have a vast amount of support (Richards). 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). Make a contribution to support Common Cause today. That means every state is allowed a minimum of 3 electoral votes. 2. Lawmakers discuss plan to enact National Popular Vote in Michigan. April 8, 2016 National popular vote far better than Electoral College system for choosing presidents, Stanford professors say. 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. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. 1, 2023 at 1:16 PM PST. ThoughtCo, Dec. 16, 2020, thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. Home| Government| Elections| Electoral College| Electoral College Pros And Cons. Weve already seen this issue take place with the GOP primaries in 2016. Privacy Policy. A candidate can win the popular vote in enough states to win a majority of electoral votes but still lose the popular vote nationally. 622 By John Samples The National Popular Vote plan (NPV), introduced in more than 40 states, and adopted. Cons of Electoral College. 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. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Once enacted, the participating states would cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote, thus ensuring that candidate the required 270 electoral votes. 2. 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. 1. The winner would receive one vote per congressional district won with the winner of the state popular vote gaining a two electoral votes. It is perhaps the most simplistic form of an election. The Electoral College was established in the Constitution to protect minority interests and mitigate the possibility of a regional candidate. 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. There would be a reduced need to build coalitions. But the national popular vote plan doesn't require a . 4. Published: Mar. PBS: What does voter turnout tell us about the 2016 election. 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. Candidates feel they either cant win or lose with the votes from these states. A popular vote election takes all ballots that are cast, counts them, and declares the winner based on who received the most votes. Proponents of the National Popular Vote fail to understand the most basic facts about the American presidential electoral system. Politicians would focus on fewer swing states (Bigger states more potential votes) Hence, the National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact a type of state law authorized by the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into a legally enforceable, contractual obligation to undertake agreed joint actions, which may be delayed in implementation until a requisite number of states join in. evergreen funeral home live stream. This divide creates natural divisions between groups of people who both support their country, but in different ways. As a result, the percentage of popular votes secured by Donald Trump was just 46.4% in comparison with Hilary Clinton, who secured 48.5% of the votes. 2. It understands that while the nation is one union, it is also an amalgam of varying experiences and perspectives arrived at via the settings and unique problems surrounding those who live in different places, and that these differences fall within the broad rubric of federalism. 6. It was a great idea in 1787 but the country has changed since 1787 and the people today want to elect the president by a simple, direct popular vote where whoever gets the most votes wins like we do in every other election in the country. Because of the Winner-Take-All state laws candidates for president only campaign and spend their money in 12-13 swing states because voters in those few swing states determine who wins the election and presidential candidates totally ignore voters in the rest of the country(except to raise money). In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. It awards all the bonus votes to the winner of the popular vote. It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes, and will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more. 10 Apr. That view of democracy recognizes the existence and desirability of organized interests and enshrines that principle under the concept of pluralism. 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. on Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, Follow All U.S. Citizens Should Vote. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. Over the years, the National Popular Vote bill has been introduced in the legislatures of all 50 states. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. How Many Electoral Votes Does a Candidate Need to Win? Here are six reasons why legislators should reject this attempt to jettison our electoral system: 1. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. All other votes cast for that candidate are therefore superfluous. 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. Just 12 Closely Divided Battleground States Got 96% of 2020 Campaign Events. 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. Though the original, some would say highly undemocratic, purpose. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the . A popular vote election would bring the presidential election in line with the rest of the election structures. Only Nebraska and Maine do not. Bush and Al Gore (Black). Presidential candidates have no reason to poll, visit, advertise, organize, or campaign in states that they cannot possibly win or lose; in 2016, 68% of presidential campaign visits took place in just six states. But NPV could force our electors to disregard the wishes of the . If enacted by enough states, the National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. E pluribus unum -- out of many, one. Although moving to a popular vote election would balance the weight of each vote, it would also create more sway in larger population states. It would eliminate the threat of a faithless elector. Is the National Popular Vote Plan Constitutional? A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. Feb 25, 2023. Richard F. Potthoff looks critically at a proposed alternative way of electing the US president, the National Popular Vote plan, where all states in an interstate compact which cover 270 or more electoral votes would cast their electoral votes for the candidate who won the nationwide vote, no matter who wins their state. NPV supporters claim, accurately, that a direct election for president would reduce or eliminate the possibility that a fringe candidate (like a Ralph Nader or Ron Paul) winning five percent or less of the vote in a single state could serve to defeat a major party candidate from the same side of the political spectrum. Although the 20th Amendment to the Constitution provides clarity to this situation, that process is based on the electoral college. amazon web services address herndon va custom airbrush spray tan near me custom airbrush spray tan near me Heres how. These are the states that may go to either major party candidate in the election. It would reduce the threshold necessary to win the office. Every state is allocated several votes according to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. And finally, the Electoral College doesnt work today anywhere near how the Founding Fathers intended it to work when they created it back in 1787. 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. 5. Hillary Clinton, but won the electoral vote to become the 45thPresident of the United States. Learn more about how the National Popular Vote compact works and the ways it could make our elections better for everyone. 2015. Even though pre-election polls made conspicuous predictions of Hilary Clinton winning the presidency and . 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. tobin james the blend 2017 ; real estate marketing solutions; cons of the national popular vote plan; lassi kefalonia shops cons of the national popular vote plan There are pros and cons to both systems. A simple change in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could fix the flaw and still provide the benefits of a popular election. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The National Popular Vote plan does not do away with the Electoral College system, an action that would require a constitutional amendment. That, in turn, would likely diminish voter turnout. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. Instead, it modifies the winner-take-all rule in a way its supporters say would assure that every vote will matter in every state in every presidential election. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators cons of the national popular vote planchicago religious demographics. After the process, the President of the Senate reveals who has officially been voted in as President and Vice President of the United States. And unlike direct elections, either would provide an incentive for grass-roots activity, coalition building and enhanced citizen participation. pros and cons." dave leip's atlas of u.s. presidential elections. It knows that a majoritarianism that produces a plurality is not the voice of a majority of the citizenry. That means some voters, like Republicans in California or Democrats in Mississippi, are voting without power and without attention from their preferred candidates each year. 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. At the moment, 98 more electoral votes are needed to pass this bill in all 50 states (National Conference of State Legislators). If some of the 50 states and DC cannot certify their popular votes by the December deadline that could create a constitutional crisis where we would not have all of the state Electoral College votes certified by the time the Electoral College is required to vote according to the Constitution. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. The electoral college leads to a heavy emphasis on swing states and also typically over-represents citizens in rural states. NPV is more than a third of the way to its goal. 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. Because of the state Winner-Take-All rules, which arent even part of the Constitution, they can lead to presidential elections where the winner of the election doesnt have the most popular votes. Ken Bickers. The principal flaw in the plan is its assumption that under the plan there will still be only two major parties competing for the presidency in 2020. . Surprisingly enough, the National Popular Vote bill could possibly bring forth some problems. How about receiving a customized one? As with other powers entrusted to the states, it is an application, not a circumvention, of the Constitution when the states utilize those powers as they see fit. 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. Part of HuffPost Politics. Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. 2. 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 In theory that could happen every four years. In 2016, Gary Johnson received 4.48 million votes and 0 electoral votes, but the potential is always there for this to happen. 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. A direct popular election would make it more possible for third-party candidates to succeed and would also encourage political parties to become more radical and extreme. Explains kimberling, william c., and dave leip's . During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. 7. It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes, and will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. on WordPress.com. 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. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The one-vote approach does not align with the way the electoral votes operates. The Electoral College system - the way we really elect our president - has always had its detractors and lost even more public support after the 2016 election, when it became apparent that President-ElectDonald Trump might have lost the nationwide popular vote to Sec. 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. Definition and Examples, Learn How Many Total Electoral Votes There Are. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. Maryland and New Jersey passed this bill in 2007, Hawaii and Illinois in 2008, Washington in 2009, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia in 2010, California and Vermont in 2011, Rhode Island in 2013, New York in 2014 and Connecticut in 2018. A shift of a relative handful of votes in one or two states would have elected the second-place candidate in six of the last 12 presidential elections. If that was to take place, America could potentially face the same issues it is facing 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. It is not even a liberal or conservative bill. In fact, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which has now been adopted by 15 states and the District of Columbia, totaling 196 electoral votes, is an actionable and realistic . Going to the popular vote would eliminate this issue altogether. This brings us to 196 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the pact. The National Bonus Plan maintains the Electoral College voting system but adds 102 bonus electoral votes to the existing 538 votes. And that would undermine the legitimacy of the NPV among those people. The National Popular Vote Plan. An individuals vote doesnt make a difference when it is counted against the votes of the delegates in the House of Representatives and Senate. As a result, an agreement between a group of states to cast all of their electoral votes in a similar manner, as proposed by the National Popular Vote plan passes constitutional muster. In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. (LogOut/ Thats the way it has been in this country for a long time. The only election in the United States which is not governed by the popular vote is the presidential election. After all, the Electoral College makes it possible that a candidate who wins the majority of the votes could still lose the election. One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all their electoral votes to whichever presidential ticket wins the overall popular vote in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an election. It could help to reduce partisanship. 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. A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. Yes. (LogOut/ 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. 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. 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. For the 7 presidential elections between 1992-2016, the Republican candidate has won the Electoral college 3 times. 3. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Where the National Popular Vote Plan Stands. At that stage, anyone who received an electoral vote is eligible to become the next president. Richards earned a master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University. 3. These battleground or swing states receive 7% more federal grants, twice as many presidential disaster declarations, more Superfund enforcement exemptions, and more No Child Left Behind law exemptions (National Popular Vote). The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. 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. 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 According to Article II, Section 1, "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress." If the election is based off a popular vote, each of these areas would need to be closely examined in real-time, which would enhance the security of each vote that is cast. Hence, the National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact a type of state law authorized by the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into a legally enforceable, contractual obligation to undertake agreed joint actions, which may be delayed in implementation until a requisite number of states join in. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Watch out! The bill has passed one chamber in 12 additional states with 96 electoral votes. Due to some states being heavily populated in comparison to others, that may help a candidate quickly obtain a win. In states with large population centers, individual voters have less power than voters in smaller states. and our 3. Under the electoral college system (and other voting systems not based on popular voting), it only takes one extra vote more than the other candidate to create the needed results for the election.
