How do you feel about the electoral college?

Question

Why don't we just poll from the american people instead?
With the electoral college, many american votes do not count in my opinion. The electors votes are what counts. Evidence of this is the 2000 elections where Al gore won the votes of majority of the americans yet because Bush won the electoral votes. He was appointed as our fearless leader. I believe that the electoral college should be taken out becauee it wastes time and many. we have to poll the american people any way in both cases. We might as well do it directly,

Answer 1

Well, the pros are:
1)t gives a say to the small states by under-representing large states.
2)Is easier to count of the votes, since once over 51% of votes has been determined, 100% of votes in the electoral college (except Maine and Nebraska) are directed toward the majority candidate.

the cons are: 1) Represents majority of American's
2) All votes have an equal say
3) No winner take all system, in other words, if a candidate wins 100% of the votes, all votes matter, not just the votes up to the 51% mark
4) allows a better oppertunity for 3rd party candidates.

Definately the electoral college should be abolished. It will be very difficult however because of our ammendment process, we need 2/3 of the states to agree, however because there are more small states than big states, they will want to keep the electoral process because it represents them better. So much for democracy, land over people in other words.

However, I know there are flaws in this idea, but there if you look hard enough, there are ways around it, like forcing the person with the most electoral votes but not the popular vote to step down.

It is very ironic that the land of democracy doesn't vote very democratically. In our voting system the people don't directly vote for the president. Our founding fathers never dreamed of having so many states which, this is why they made the electoral system, so small states could have a say, but in today's world, it just doesn't make sense to give a state like North Dekota 4 times more representation than Californians.

Answer 2

The electoral collage helps protect the nation. If we elected the president by majority than the smaller states would get looked over. What happened was this, before the united states was a federalist nation we had a constitution called the articles of confederation. America was ruled by the individual states. The people originally wanted this because they felt that every states interest and need were different. Then there was a riot called the shays's rebellion in 1780 because massachusetts adapted a constitution that appeared to favor the wealthy people. The congress couldn't put together an army to stand agenst the rioters. The states then realized the need of a combined national strength. The reason why some states didn't join the federalists right away was because thy thought that If more people lived in another state those people could dictate to them how to live their lives even if it was not relevant to them. When things are done strictly by a majority the rights of others are overlooked. Lets say that we took away the electoral system. What then would happen would be that politicians would have to plicate the larger populated areas and the little states and counties would be over looked. Each state is given electoral votes. the amount of votes that they are given is reflective of the population of an area. So that way it isn't the minority leading the majority or visa versa. It helps give everyone a voice. Otherwise a few big Cities would control the nation.

Answer 3

It's a joke. I don't know how Bush can talk about democracy and try to shove it down everyones throat when we still have a system like the electoral college. He's never tried to make this nation a pure democracy by doing away with the electoral college and he never will. Manipulating it was the only way he could win in 2000. They want to keep it in case they need to manipulate another election.

Answer 4

Get rid of it. It's time is well past. 1 person 1 vote. The American leaders should be elected by the people, that is why we stand in long lines waiting for little old ladies to give us our ballot. The politicians make it into a popularity contest with their ads, so we should have the final say.

Answer 5

It's a college of dummies.
It was rigged up to even out the number of voters per state - to give small populated states an even playing field. It does not represent the will of the country.

Answer 6

Get rid of it. Pass a constitutional amendment so that presidential elections are decided by national popular vote.

Answer 7

it stinks, get rid of it.