Should Direct Elections Replace The Electoral Colloge system?

Answer 1

(Copies, Pastes old answer. Since we get one of these questions nearly every day)
The Electoral College:
Pro: The Founders of this nation had a justified fear of complete democracy. They set up a system where supposedly wise men, elected by the people, and holding no other office at the time, would chose a President. They knew "There's a sucker born every minute". They made sure that there was an insulating layer of responsible people between the voter and the presidency. Thus there is some protection from the lies and deceit that went on during election season, then just as it does now.

Con:
1. Those who failed their civics classes, or who have never received any instruction in our system of government, along with those who wish to take advantage of the most ignorant portion or our electorate, continue to complain and question the Electoral College. This makes the sheep easily identified and led by the barking dogs.

2. Those who wish to take advantage of the gullibility of the average voter would like to do away with the Electoral College, in order to make their nonsense campaigns more effective.

Although the Electors of most states are "pledged" to vote for the winner in that state, and most face criminal penalties for breaking that pledge, there may come a time when the Electoral College is forced to muster its courage and go against the vote. This could happen in a scenario where massive fraud or corruption is found between the national election day and the balloting of the Electoral College. This could happen, and is what was intended by the founders of this nation.

Even in the process of electing a President, the Founders of this nation carried on the principle of REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC instead of the more dangerous DIRECT DEMOCRACY.

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Answer 2

In my opinion, yes. While it hasn't happened often, the 2000 popular vote winner, Al Gore, lost to the Electoral vote winner, George W Bush. Why this election is so important to the debate is that the Electoral College vote could have gone either way depending on various vote recounts both parties asked for, the Supreme Court ruling, etc. But the popular vote was never in doubt. No matter what happened in Florida, Gore was the winner of the popular vote nationwide.

I'm not stating this due to sour grapes. I'm just saying that we didn't need all the drama that is still going on over that election. In all other elections in this country, the majority vote wins. Why should the Presidency be any different? I believe it is time for a Constitutional Amendment to that effect.

Answer 3

When the Constitution was first written there was a lot of arguing about power. Small states were worried that big states would overpower them in votes. We have the same problem today in states that have one or two big cities, the less populated rural counties often feel powerless.

So our founding fathers made a compromise. The purpose of the electoral college was to give smaller states a little more power proportionately. Each state gets a vote for each senator (two votes each) and a vote for each congressional district. But every state, even the smallest, has at least one congressional district, so even the least-populated state has at least 3 electoral votes.

There have been something like 250 proposals over the years to do away with the electoral college. These proposals are always defeated by the small states, who have something to lose. That's why we still have it.

I would like to see it done away with too. But it's not up to US, it's up to Congress, and then it would have to be ratified by 2/3 of the states. Realistically, that just ain't gonna happen.

Answer 4

Popular Election should replace the Electoral College. Popular (Direct) Election allows the individual voters to have a direct impact on the outcome of the election.

Answer 5

Direct Elections do occur. It's called The Popular Vote. And it's been happening since The Early 19th Century. Open A History Book for crying out loud !

Answer 6

Yes, yes it should because it's not 1776 but 2007. My vote isn't going to be carried to Washington on horseback! If the founding fathers had the technology then that we have today, there would have never been a electoral college.

Answer 7

I am all for that great idea. The electoral college does not necessarily represent the will of the majority of the American people. The concept is already obsolete.