Past Event - LWV Webinar on Popular Vote - The Buchanan Chronicle There are logistical issues that are managed at the local level in each election. This has occurred in only four of the 58 presidential . It knows that a majoritarianism that produces a plurality is not the voice of a majority of the citizenry. Oklahoma voters weigh pros, cons of legalizing recreational marijuana The Electoral College was established in the Constitution to protect minority interests and mitigate the possibility of a regional candidate. 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. Electoral votes are designated among the states based on Census. 5. In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore won the popular vote by more than 500,000 ballots, but George Bush became president by winning the Electoral College 271 to 266. The first problem it creates is the opportunity for the loser of the popular vote to win the electoral vote. There would be a reduced need to build coalitions. The one-vote approach does not align with the way the electoral votes operates. There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an election. The issue raised by the National Popular Vote campaign is fundamental: What kind of a democracy should America be? A popular vote election takes all ballots that are cast, counts them, and declares the winner based on who received the most votes. It happened once, in 1876. When a popular vote is held for a national office, the election becomes more about platform issues than local issues. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. 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. In states with large population centers, individual voters have less power than voters in smaller states. Is there a conservative case for National Popular Vote? During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. Among the others: By its very size and scope, a national direct election will lead to nothing more than a national media campaign, which would propel the parties' media consultants to inflict upon the entire nation what has been heretofore limited to the so-called battleground states: an ever-escalating, distorted arms race of tit-for-tat unanswerable attack advertising polluting the airwaves, denigrating every candidate and eroding citizen faith in their leaders and the political process as a whole. cons of the national popular vote planchicago religious demographics. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. 622 By John Samples The National Popular Vote plan (NPV), introduced in more than 40 states, and adopted. But sometime in the future the popular vote will change back and lean Republican. Advantage: Encourages Voter Turnout And thats not how it should be in a democracy. 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. The National Popular Vote initiative transpired in 2006. Imperfect, because its modern-day blessings -- enhancing coalition building, pluralism, federalism and grass-roots participation -- are enjoyed only by a minority of states (in any given presidential election 18 or 20), where the battle for electoral votes is competitive for both major parties. NCSL conducts policy research in areas ranging from agriculture and budget and tax issues to education and health care to immigration and transportation. Definition and Examples, How Political Party Convention Delegates are Chosen, What Is a Caucus? List of the Cons of Proportional Representation. 3. Just another site cons of the national popular vote plan . But we're closer to that than you might think 15 states and the District of Columbia have already signed on, providing 196 electoral votes of the needed 270. Today the Democrats want to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system with a direct popular vote and the Republicans adamantly want to keep it. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. cons of the national popular vote plan. To take effect, the National Popular Vote bill must be enacted by the state legislatures of states controlling a total of 270 electoral votes - a majority of the overall 538 electoral votes and the number currently required to elect a president. 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. Under the electoral college system, if a state consistently pulls as leaning to one party, someone who supports the other party may not vote because they feel like there isnt a need to do so. Bosque de Palabras More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact In the 2016 Presidential Election if the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact had been in effect the winner of the national popular vote, Hillary Clinton, would have become president instead of Donald Trump. People are moving to live in like-minded communities more than ever before. Second, some believe itll intensify election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout (Richards). Using the NPV system means that every vote counts the same. 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. The NPV Interstate Compact does not eliminate the very complicated Electoral College system that most voters dont really understand. Yes. The National Popular Vote: Misusing an Interstate Compact to Bypass the 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. Even though pre-election polls made conspicuous predictions of Hilary Clinton winning the presidency and . And in all states but Maine and Nebraska, the candidate who receives the most votes in that state is awarded all of its electoral votes, whether the split is 51% to 49% or 99% to 1%. Published: Mar. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. 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. The National Bonus Plan maintains the Electoral College voting system but adds 102 bonus electoral votes to the existing 538 votes. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. This was the intent of the Founding Fathers. To determine the National Popular Vote winner, state election officials simply would tally the nationwide vote for president based on each states official results. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact collectively apportions votes to the winner of the overall popular vote without a constitutional amendment abolishing the electoral college or the assent of Congress. To date, the bill has passed at least one legislative chamber in 9 states possessing 82 combined electoral votes: AR, AZ, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, OK, and OR. In fact, let's tally up all the votes cast for president between 1932 and 2008. The lack of competition and campaigning in a majority of states owes itself not to the existence of the Electoral College's indirect method of choosing presidents but rather to the winner-take-all method of choosing electors in all but two states. Longley, Robert. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. As of July 2020, a National Popular Vote bill has been signed into law in 16 states controlling a total of 196 electoral votes, including 4 small states, 8 medium-sized states, 3 big states (California, Illinois, and New York), and the District of Columbia. The states' approval of the compact is a victory for democracy and the principle of "one person, one vote." A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. Americans are still bent up and flustered on how an individual could lose the popular vote, but still, be given the upper hand in Electoral College votes. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. However, many people believe that a direct popular election is more democratic and fair than the Electoral College. The Electoral College - Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org This text is available online and is used for gudiance and inspiration, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. A Critique of the National Popular Vote | Cato Institute Lawmakers discuss plan to enact National Popular Vote in Michigan. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. 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. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop. Under the National Popular Vote plan,the compact would take effect only when enabling legislation has been enacted by states collectively possessing a majority of the electoral votes:270 of 538 total. Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. How about receiving a customized one? National Popular Vote is a constitutional and practical way to implement nationwide popular election of the President a goal traditionally supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans. Six Reasons to Reject National Popular Vote - Pelican Policy Removing this system could encourage more people to come out to support their candidate. It could encourage voter turnout. Congressional District Method - Electoral College Reform - Weebly The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among states and the District of Columbia to award their respective electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote of the presidential election. 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. 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. That would increase the amount of polarization being experienced in politics today because there would be less of a need to compromise. Activating the National Popular Vote compact would reshape our . You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election (Archives). The National Popular Vote Plan. It is also true that no president since 1824 has received the votes of a majority of the eligible voters and 18 presidents, including Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, John. All in all, the Electoral College causes many problems that seem unfair to American voters during such an important election. The National Popular Vote plan is a bill passed by participating state legislatures agreeing that they will cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote. 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. cons of the national popular vote plansuper lemon haze greenhouse. It could help to reduce partisanship. This has occurred in 5 of the nation's 56 presidential elections, most recently in 2016. The Electoral College distorts presidential campaigns . Pros & Cons of Selecting Government Officials by Direct Election Each states electoral votes are tallied by Congress in the House chamber by House and Senate representatives on the 6th day of January following the Presidential election. Today, many electors are bound to vote according to their states' popular vote results, and those who aren't almost always do. National Popular Vote: Circumventing the United States Constitution But for those people who feel that changing how we elect the president should only be done by constitutional amendment they will feel that using the NPV Compact will undermine the legitimacy of the process even though its perfectly legal and constitutional. Instead, each state and Washington D.C. is assigned a certain number of electoral votes based on its population. The National Popular Vote Bill is a bill for Americans interested in both preserving our Electoral College and reforming the shortcomings of our current "winner-take-all" system that awards all the electors of one state to the candidate who wins in that particular state and . An electoral college would solve . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The Electoral College Vs. Popular Vote - 1203 Words | 123 Help Me 6. Every state is allocated several votes according to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. 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. Even though we will be able to elect the president by national popular vote using the The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, eventually the rules for how we elect the president should be an official part of the Constitution. I am confident that when we enter the next phase where the popular vote leans Republican that Republicans will change and be adamant that we should elect the president by direct popular vote and Democrats will be arguing why we should keep the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system. Because a direct election would be, by definition, national and resource allocation would be overwhelmingly dominated by paid television advertising, there would be little impetus for grass-roots activity. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the . National Popular Vote (NPV) - InfluenceWatch After the 2016 presidential election, political science expert Nate Silver wrote that, since the swing states are not likely to support any plan that might reduce their influence over control of the White House, the National Popular Vote bill will not succeed unless the predominately Republican red states adopt it. 1. But NPV could force our electors to disregard the wishes of the . 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. Unless the national popular vote was very close, or there were all lot of recounts outstanding, the Compact states in most cases would effectively know what the outcome would be and could be prepared to certify their state votes very quickly to make the Electoral College meeting date deadline. The alternative view of democracy is more complex; it is one that includes but is not limited to the pursuit of equality. It is perhaps the most simplistic form of an election. But if some non-member One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. A direct popular election also ensures that citizens' votes have equal weight. Either would provide a reason for both parties to compete in most states because there would be electors to win. Many people may feel that any major change in how we elect the president should be in the Constitution and not in a legal loop hole even if its legal and technically constitutional. cons of the national popular vote plan - alshamifortrading.com The popular vote currently gives every citizenCalifornians and Texans, Hawaiians and Mainers, Alabamans and Oregoniansan equal say in choosing the president. 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. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. The country thinks we are going to elect the president using the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system tans and then four months before the election we change to the National Popular Vote Compact system and elect the president by whoever gets the most popular votes. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 3. And unlike direct elections, either would provide an incentive for grass-roots activity, coalition building and enhanced citizen participation. The winner-take-all rule is not required by the Constitution and was actually used by only three states in the nation's first presidential election in 1789. "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. National Popular Vote Interstate Compact - Wikipedia Because every vote is equal inside Ohio or Florida, presidential candidates avidly seek out voters in small, medium, and large towns. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047 (accessed March 4, 2023). The Supreme Court has said in local and state elections voting should be based on the principle of one person one vote. They have only won the popular vote once. The Constitution specifically leaves details like how the electoral votes are cast up to the states. Electoral College Alternatives: What Are the Other Options? - The Daily Dot Popular Vote History & Overview | What Does Popular Vote Mean mike matarazzo last photo. Cons of Electoral College. 9. Yet, by May 2021, 15 states and Washington, D.C., had signed onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. It fails to reach the ideal of one-person one-vote. A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. The National Popular Vote Plan to Bypass the Electoral College - ThoughtCo It awards all the bonus votes to the winner of the popular vote. Regional candidates could secure enough votes to win a national election. 27 Major Pros & Cons Of The Electoral College - E&C That would likely reduce the number of voters who cast a ballot in each election as most people are more concerned about local impacts than national policies. Although faithless electors have not affected the results or outcome of an election yet, in 2016, there were 7 faithless electors. The votes of those who do not live in closely divided battleground states effectively count less. But with the NPV Compact a change in party control of just one or two states could restore the old system of electing the president and then four years later it could be changed back. 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. As of December 2020, the National Popular Vote bill has been adopted by 15 states and the District of Columbia, controlling 196 electoral votes: CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NM, NY, OR, RI, VT, and WA. Retrieved from https://samploon.com/electoral-college-and-national-popular-vote-pros-and-cons/, Should the Electoral College Be Abolished, Pros for The Electoral College in the United States, Electoral College is Undemocratic but We Have no Better System, The Electoral College Should Be Terminated, The Electoral College Annotated Bibliography. As a result, the bill will take effect when enacted by states possessing an additional 74 electoral votes. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. More people live in urban regions, which means they would have a constant sway over the election. Without change, a plan for a national popular vote could undermine the Over the long run the countrys popular vote in presidential elections has roughly been equally split between Republican and Democratic.*. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. The first advantage allows for electoral votes to be fairer than the Electoral College (Richards). The electoral college leads to a heavy emphasis on swing states and also typically over-represents citizens in rural states. Just 12 Closely Divided Battleground States Got 96% of 2020 Campaign Events. 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. . If that was to take place, America could potentially face the same issues it is facing now. It is not even a liberal or conservative bill. Michigan Legislature considers plan to enact national popular vote Image the country thinks it is going to elect the president by National Popular Vote and then changing back to using the old Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system just four months before an election. 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. I will explain that in another blog post. Weve already seen this issue take place with the GOP primaries in 2016. In 2016, Gary Johnson received 4.48 million votes and 0 electoral votes, but the potential is always there for this to happen. Ken Bickers. Here are the Cons of the Electoral College 1. The last amendment, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, was ratified nearly 200 years after it was originally proposed. Rural voters would almost always be in the minority. 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. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some . The Case Against the Popular Vote | The New Republic She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. on WordPress.com. District Plan by Hannah Patzer - Prezi Feb 25, 2023. 5. In the 2016 election, only 58 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. 1, 2023 at 1:16 PM PST. The National Popular Vote Bill is not a Democrat or Republican bill. Battleground states would disappear in U.S. elections. Steve Sisolak vetoed it. As the National Popular Vote (NPV) movement steps up its effort to impose a direct election for president, attempting to enlist states with a sufficient number of electors to constitute a majority (268) and to bind them to the winner of the national popular vote, those states considering the proposal might first reflect on the nightmare aftermath The Electoral College: An Overview and Analysis of Reform Proposals 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. In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. 12 Proportional Representation Pros and Cons - Vittana.org Note: Today we are in a phase where the popular vote in presidential elections leans Democratic. 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 . Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. 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. Actually the NPV Compact doesnt change one word in he Constitution and in fact only changes state laws. The NPVC is a proposed interstate compact in which the signatory states agree that they will appoint their presidential electors in accordance with the national popular vote rather than their own state electorate's vote. Electoral College pros and cons: is popular vote better? - netivist The electoral requires that an election which does not receive a majority of electoral votes be taken into the U.S. House of Representatives. Richards earned a master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University. These are the states that may go to either major party candidate in the election. In addition, the bill has been unanimously approved at the committee level in the states of Georgia and Missouri, controlling a combined 27 electoral votes. 6. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. Under the electoral college, the majority votes of states assign electoral votes to a candidate, which then creates a majority total required for a victory. Electoral College Pros and Cons - ThoughtCo The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors and a majority of 270 electoral votes is mandatory to nominate the President. The bill has passed one chamber in 12 additional states with 96 electoral votes. 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. Dont know what Ranked Choice Voting is? 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.