Are you happy with our electoral college?

Answer 1

Nope, its an anachronism and anti-democratic.

Answer 2

No. Here are some of the major problems with the electoral college:

1. If you live in a state such New York, Texas or California the candidates know who will win that state, so a New York Republican effectively has no real vote and a Texas Democrat has no real vote.

2. Redistricting problems have been created when political parties try to alter the map of districts simply to ensure they win those districts.

3. The point of the electoral college is that we are a representative democracy not an absolute democracy. While I agree with the need to be a representative democracy we have congress and a senate who represent their own respective districts. The presidential election being based on popular vote nationwide would not take away the tradition of representative democracy.

4. Questions on specific districts, such as the issue we had in Florida during the 2000 election would be far less of an issue because if that election had been based on popular vote, Al Gore was the clear winner anyways.

Dave

Answer 3

It is the best story never told.
We enjoy a two party system. Pure popular voting would encourage splinter parties with a singular agenda. Elections would go to people with far less than 50%. A typical European election has candidates with 20-30% of the vote thrown into a runoff. A large majority of the electorate is disenfranchised.
Our current system also minimizes fraud. Having lived in Chicago, I know how a political machine can create huge numbers of bogus votes. We limit fraud to one state at a time. It is not a perfect world but it could be worse.
We allow different voting laws in different states. A ballot that might count in one state does not count in another. Having a universal voting registration law might be an interesting solution but it is a problematic idea.
Let me add another problem about direct voting. Local jurisdictions can add initiatives to the ballot that bring out people that would not otherwise vote. Give politicians another chance for mischief and be aware.
My last argument has often been used although I am somewhat skeptical. If we had a snowstorm in the West or hurricane in the South or power outage in the East, an unfair advantage might be gained.

Answer 4

Yes. It has worked well for over two centuries. I am definitely opposed to electing the president by a nationwide popular vote. I feel that the Electoral college ensures protection for different areas of the country and broadens the base of our president. It is occasionally subject to Gore like manipulation "recount the Democratic strongholds, but don't count the military absentees", but it is a good system.

Answer 5

this is not a true democracy, and im glad. The founding fathers were afraid that true democracy would be just mass rule. Instead of 1 tyrant overseas, they would have millions of tyrants at home. People can be easily manipulated by charismatic figures, remember, hitler won an election to become chancellor of Germany.

The electoral college makes all 50 states more equal rather than trying to cater to only places with big population, and it provides a saftey net from would-be dictators.

Answer 6

I think we should get rid of the electors and just keep the electoral votes and allocate them proportionally to each candidate's popular vote in each state. I don't like the big cities to determine the election, thank you very much.

Answer 7

The electoral college isn't the problem. The problem is the corporate/banking/foreign control of both parties, the media and the paperless electronic voting machines.

RON PAUL 2008!!!!
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Answer 8

Yes, I do not want a bunch of high crime highly populated cities like LA, DEEtroit,Chicago,and the like to determine who becomes President! These cities are war zones. I sure as hell do not want the rest of our country to become like these cities that I have mentioned!

Rural America has more common sense in my opinion. Like allowing law abiding citizens to protect themselves by responsible owning guns -with proper fire arm training and experience. The gun grabbers in Congress mostly come from highly populated urban areas. The bad guys will always have the guns no matter what laws you legislate. We need to preserve the right of good law abiding citizens to protect themselves and majority of people from urban areas do not consider 2nd amendment rights a priority.

I am very thankful that the founding fathers thought of the idea of the electoral college. Please BEWARE of any candidate for Federal office (house of representatives, senate or presidency) that wants to "get rid" of or "do away with" the Electoral College.

Answer 9

Not completely. I support repealing the college. It takes a constitutional amendment, and I believe that if one is proposed, it should be proposed with the stipulation that the method of ratification should be via ratifying conventions in the states rather than with the state legislatures. That gives voters themselves a much more direct say on the subject of ratification.

Answer 10

The American Electoral College system is responsible for handing George W.Bush the Presidency; if the 2000 election had been determined by the popular vote he would have lost so I'm very angry with it.

Answer 11

Yes...we should also return the election of Senators to the state legislatures, as originally intended.