If we abolished the Electoral College and selected the President by popular vote only, would more people vote?

Question

I say this because I know many people who do not vote in Presidential elections because they feel their vote doesn't matter. This is often based on the fact that their particular states usually swing in the opposite of their personal political ideologies from an electoral vote standpoint. Or because they live in a state with few electoral votes which are easily outweighed by the electoral votes of the large states.

Answer 1

I think it would. I agree with an earlier post, I live in CA and don't vote because I know a democrat will win.

Answer 2

Yes, I feel that doing away with the electoral college would bring out more voters!
Because if you do away with it and elect candidates by popular vote you will suddenly see more than two parties.
Right now the electoral college is what is keeping the races down to two parties. The electoral college won't sent their vote for a third party member even if they win! ( in some states)
I do see some problems with not having it, but doing away with it would be good for the people. That third party that everyone doesn't vote for because they don't have a chance would be able to compete!
All this electoral college thing is doing is allowing the politicians to control the vote!
I don't let anyone throw that states vote thing at me! Nobody cares about how a state votes. It's more important that each individuals vote counts the same across the nation!
When people say they don't vote because their vote doesn't count. You know in some cases they are right!!!

Answer 3

I think in some states it might make some difference with voting. Although I do think that we should get rid of the electoral college and just do the popular vote. I think more people would feel like they do have a choice in the matter. It would also certainly help when we get into situations like we did a few years ago, when Gore won the popular vote, but Bush became president based on the electoral college vote.

Answer 4

I think we should abolish the electoral college and select by popular vote but I am not sure how much difference that would make because many feel it is choosing the lessor or two evils rather than voting a good person into office. We really have a choice of only two parties running, really, so people see all the pork barrel legislation being done by the members of one political party or another, hear all the people explain why their party is better than the other and get turned off by the whole thing because they feel it doesn't make a difference, and many times it doesn't

Answer 5

Ironic that the reason they designed the electoral vote was so the smaller states would have equal representation. I think with today's technology, there is absolutely no reason not to do this! We should also use the general vote for passing bills. There are too many times when the "Representatives do not act as the people want. One small item is that the electoral representative is not actually required to give their electoral votes to the person who won in their state! Democracy? Not!

Answer 6

I think the current system has worked well. We have not had one or two of the largest states by population dominating elections. All states have a say and in close elections they become meaningful. Questions about Electoral vs Popular vote only becomes an issue when one party lost an election but still won a majority of the nations vote. It's a rare occurrence. It's so rare that it's not worth changing a system that's worked for as long as ours has.

Answer 7

Not sure about new voters but the popular vote should always be the deciding factor. The electoral college was a result of folks back in the early days not being able to get to the polls. Most people see no need for it today.

Answer 8

i might argue that often used vote may well be extra clever, if it replaced into used with a preferential gadget of balloting. i.e the voter might type the applicants so as of determination (a million-your standard, 2- your next standard, 3-your next....and so on). this might advise that a political social gathering could submit extra advantageous than one canidate for election (devoid of worry of the two applicants splitting the vote, and dropping to a miles less favourite canidate). i.e the democrats would have Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama up for election. often used vote ensures that each and each electorate, vote is critical. the main thought being that in case you win certainly the vast majority of the favored vote (50% + a million), then you definately are elected to the placement. this might advise that somewhat, a candidate could not purely win the electoral college votes, and not maximum persons of votes... As i think of this is undemocratic. the guy to win the election may well be the main favourite candidate.

Answer 9

I personally think there would be an increase in voter turn-out if the vote turned popular rather than electoral process, I never have trusted the electoral process since I don't trust politicians to look -out for the people over their own betterment. Electoral College is made-up of politicians.

Answer 10

I thinks it would. Everyone wants to feel like their vote counts. I know I do. I vote in every election, great or small, yet I too sometimes feel like my voice is going unheard. Maybe getting rid of the Electoral College will help me to yell a little louder.

Answer 11

Perhaps there might be the first time, but in the first such election every single precinct in the country would be recounted and rerecounted for years just as in 2000 in Florida in one Democrat district where they were still recounting seven weeks after the election until the Supreme Court put a stop to it. After such a disaster, either we would go back to the Electoral College or nobody would bother participating in such a farce.