Pros & Cons of a National Popular Vote Buy Complete Issue $19.95 Login or Subscribe The National Popular Vote How would the interstate compact work? When the Constitution was set in place in 1789, the U.S. elected its first president. It was a great idea in 1787 but the country has changed since 1787 and the people today want to elect the president by a simple, direct popular vote where whoever gets the most votes wins like we do in every other election in the country. The votes of those who do not live in closely divided battleground states effectively count less. Pros & Cons of Selecting Government Officials by Direct Election 48 Vitosha Boulevard, ground floor, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria, Samploon, Inc. 2022. During a popular vote, a candidate who withdraws from the race or dies before the election can be held could still be on the ballot. For the 7 presidential elections between 1992-2016, the Republican candidate has won the Electoral college 3 times. Regional candidates could secure enough votes to win a national election. Definition and Examples, Learn How Many Total Electoral Votes There Are. It has been enacted by twelve states, which include Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, and California. 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. It would reduce diversity in the election structures. The electoral college encourages a two-party system and rewards candidates who have broad appeal. As of December 2020, the bill has been fully adopted predominately by Democratic-majority blue states which delivered the 14 largest vote shares for Barack Obama in the 2012 Presidential Election. I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. 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. To pass an amendment to change the Constitution the Founding Fathers wisely required approval by 2/3 of both houses of Congress and 3/4 of the state legislatures instead of a simple majority. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. 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. For under its plan, the next time the U.S. has very close national vote, a recount would not be of six million votes in one state but of more than 130 million votes in all states and the District of Columbia, all with their own rules for conducting a recount. Wyoming had just 3 electoral votes, but only had 255,000 voters as well. The National Popular Vote plan would eliminate what critics of the Electoral College system point to as the "winner-take-all" rule - the awarding all of a state's electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in that state. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. But the biggest problem with changing how we elect our president using the NPV Compact is that its too easy to change it back. However, many people believe that a direct popular election is more democratic and fair than the Electoral College. That could lead to a very bad situation where, instead of the people voting in November to determine who the next president is, one or two states could effectively decide who becomes the next president simply by joining or withdrawing from the NPV Compact and changing the rules on how the votes for president are counted in the next election. Home| Government| Elections| Electoral College| Electoral College Pros And Cons. 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. It would limit the influence of local issues in the election. Is there a conservative case for National Popular Vote? Even though pre-election polls made conspicuous predictions of Hilary Clinton winning the presidency and . Samploon is a database of free essay samples. Once enacted, the participating states would cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote, thus ensuring that candidate the required 270 electoral votes. Under the plan, Michigan's 15 Electoral . cons of the national popular vote plan 27 Major Pros & Cons Of The Electoral College - E&C According to Article II, Section 1, "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress." 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. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. 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. Because of the state Winner-Take-All rules, which arent even part of the Constitution, they can lead to presidential elections where the winner of the election doesnt have the most popular votes. Louisiana voters should decide who receives Louisiana's electoral votes. In the early 19th century, many states ratified an approach that would allow the candidate with the most votes in that state to be the winner. Instead, each state and Washington D.C. is assigned a certain number of electoral votes based on its population. All samples were added by students. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The amendment requires that any change to the rate of compensation for members of Congress can only take effect after a subsequent election in the House of Representatives. These battleground or swing states receive 7% more federal grants, twice as many presidential disaster declarations, more Superfund enforcement exemptions, and more No Child Left Behind law exemptions (National Popular Vote). 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. Longley, Robert. What would happen during a switch to the popular vote would be unknown. How Many Electoral Votes Does a Candidate Need to Win? N.p., n.d. National Popular Vote will create a single member district (all 50 states and D.C.), where the candidate with the most votes wins and . During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. Explains kimberling, william c., and dave leip's . 1. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. 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. Due to some states being heavily populated in comparison to others, that may help a candidate quickly obtain a win. 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 selection of presidential electors is specifically entrusted to the states by the Constitution. It makes things easier for extreme parties to gain representation. I will explain that in another blog post. 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 . The itineraries of presidential candidates in battleground states (and their allocation of other campaign resources) demonstrate what every gubernatorial or senatorial candidate in every state already knows namely that when every vote matters, the campaign must be run in every part of the state. Currently, candidates focus more on swing and battleground states to help them gain those electoral votes. 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. Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons 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. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. (See: Electoral Votes by State). Would you like to get a custom essay? It could help to reduce partisanship. Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. A faithless elector in the United States is someone who casts an electoral ballot for someone other than the individuals to whom they are pledged. Yet, by May 2021, 15 states and Washington, D.C., had signed onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. Research & Policy - National Conference of State Legislatures Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. This is a situation that has caused controversy in the election years of of 1800, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 when the elected president won the Electoral College and the presidency but did not win the popular vote. Inkwell | Everything You Need to Know About the National Popular Vote Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee the Right to Vote for All U.S. Citizens. 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. A popular vote election takes all ballots that are cast, counts them, and declares the winner based on who received the most votes. Under the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system votes in small states, like Wyoming or Delaware count double what votes in large states like California or Texas. Get breaking news and updates from Common Cause. 7. More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. Since the Constitution and the Bill of Rights became governing documents in the United States, there have only been 17 amendments made to it. According to the Constitution, the Electoral College is a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens (National Archives). 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. Weve already seen this issue take place with the GOP primaries in 2016. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. 1. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. The candidate who placed second in the popular vote was elected in 2016, 2000, 1888, 1876, and 1824. 41 States (with 80% of U.S. population) will be Ignored in the 2024 Presidential 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. Every state is allocated several votes according to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. It fails to reach the ideal of one-person one-vote. Start and finish your paper with ease. Some critics argue that more people would vote in a direct popular election, according to the University of the Pacific. Without the popular vote bill, swing states would continue to get more leverage and attention from candidates to ensure that they would be able to capture their votes. 5. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. PBS: What does voter turnout tell us about the 2016 election. The discussion around using the popular vote for elections has increased since the results of the 2016 election. 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. In a closely contested direct popular election, every precinct across the country might require close examination, rather than a handful of states or precincts. pros and cons." dave leip's atlas of u.s. presidential elections. List of the Cons of Proportional Representation. In U.S. history, there has been one vice-presidential candidate who died after being nominated and one that withdrew from their partys ticket. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, What Is Statutory Law? Proportional Plan Around six-in-ten U.S. adults (63%) say the way the president is elected should be changed so that the winner of the popular vote nationwide wins the presidency, while 35% favor keeping the current Electoral College system, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted June 27-July 4, 2022. Electing a president who did not have broad regional support could lead to a fractured and less cohesive country, according to the Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Bosque de Palabras The winner would receive all of the compact states electoral votes, giving them at least the necessary 270 to win the White House. That created a voter value of 2.85. Oklahoma voters weigh pros, cons of legalizing recreational marijuana This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some . In each instance the republic has survived, and democracy has prospered despite the challenges presented. It would eliminate superfluous votes. These are the states that may go to either major party candidate in the election. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the . It would reduce the influence of third parties on the U.S. presidential election. 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. Most recently, the bill was passed by a bipartisan 4016 vote in the Republican-controlled Arizona House, 2818 in Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate, 574 in Republican-controlled New York Senate, and 3721 in Democratic-controlled Oregon House." Today, the fact that Nebraska and Maine do not use the winner-take-all system serves as proof that modifying the Electoral College system, as proposed by the National Popular Vote plan is constitutional and does not require a constitutional amendment. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. It would eliminate the Congressional provisions for a non-majority election. There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an election. Even the minority party wouldnt be encouraged to negotiate because they could simply stall until the next election. University of Colorado Boulder To determine the National Popular Vote winner, state election officials simply would tally the nationwide vote for president based on each states official results. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. National popular vote - frequently asked questions - Common Cause 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. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz often split about 60% of the GOP vote, which allowed Donald Trump to win early primaries with 35% of the vote. The horror of a potential national recount is only one of the dangers direct presidential elections poses. Proponents of the National Popular Vote fail to understand the most basic facts about the American presidential electoral system. 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. 12 Proportional Representation Pros and Cons - Vittana.org Without any sort of broad support, the politics of the country could become even more fractured than they already are. Under the current structure of presidential elections in the U.S., the states become a battleground of red states vs. blue states. 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 first advantage allows for electoral votes to be fairer than the Electoral College (Richards). 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. 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. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop. Battleground states would disappear in U.S. elections. [Add switching votes of losing party to the other partys voter totals in every state using the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system (except for 5 EC votes in Maine and Nebraska that are awarded proportionally instead of by Winner-Take-All.]. Using a popular vote system, candidates could campaign regionally, targeting major areas of support, to secure enough votes to win an election. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. On average, studies show that falls in line with historical averages showing around 60 percent of eligible voters casting a vote in presidential election years. An electoral college would solve . Today, many electors are bound to vote according to their states' popular vote results, and those who aren't almost always do. The Constitution specifically leaves details like how the electoral votes are cast up to the states. Steve Sisolak vetoed it. The NPV Interstate Compact does not eliminate the very complicated Electoral College system that most voters dont really understand. First it would be relatively easy to implement. But the much greater danger to American democracy is that direct elections may make it possible for a president to be elected by no more than 30 percent of the vote, regardless of his or her suitability for office, so long as there is sufficient money and a clever media advisor behind the effort. The one-vote approach does not align with the way the electoral votes operates. http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. And finally, the Electoral College doesnt work today anywhere near how the Founding Fathers intended it to work when they created it back in 1787. what connection type is known as "always on"? 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. cons of the national popular vote plan What Is The District Plan? This Electoral College Reform - Bustle The National Popular Vote Bill is not a Democrat or Republican bill. Analyzes how william c. kimberling, the deputy director of the federal election commission, is a credible author over the issue. In states with large population centers, individual voters have less power than voters in smaller states. It could encourage voter turnout. It is our national motto and is so for a reason. State Question 820 lays out a statutory framework for a recreational industry that would begin about 90 days after election results are certified. PDF The Direct Election Plan - tesd.net The National Popular Vote Plan to Bypass the Electoral College - ThoughtCo Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. 4. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? Past Event - LWV Webinar on Popular Vote - The Buchanan Chronicle This move would ensure that the Presidency would be given to the candidate that received the most popular votes all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 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. 5. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. Then, election officials in all participating states would choose the electors sworn to support thepresidential candidate who received the largest number of popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 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. The Electoral College distorts presidential campaigns . Is this a solution to first past the post or is it merely reinforcing our current two party system? Ten reasons I support the National Popular Vote | MinnPost Many Americans are confused about how a win is obtained under these conditions and are on a quest to change this traditional statute. Disadvantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. evergreen funeral home live stream. As a result, the percentage of popular votes secured by Donald Trump was just 46.4% in comparison with Hilary Clinton, who secured 48.5% of the votes. The United States does not have direct election of its president, yet most national, state and local offices are filled by the candidate with the most votes. If this happens many people in the red states will not feel that the change is legitimate even if its legal and technically constitutional. Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. The advantage of this system is that it preserves the preferences of. Yes. OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahomans will head to the polls March 7 to decide if the state will become the 22nd in the country to legalize recreational marijuana for use by anyone 21 and older. A simple change in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could fix the flaw and still provide the benefits of a popular election. That means a candidate who receives a majority of their votes in a high-delegate state, such as California, could make a dramatic impact on the rest of the election. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. Here are the essential pros and cons of popular vote elections to examine. 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 As of now, 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Delaware and Oregon. Advantage: Encourages Voter Turnout How about receiving a customized one? Others may struggle to meet higher than expected voter turnout levels. 4. Definition and Examples, How Political Party Convention Delegates are Chosen, What Is a Caucus? The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all their electoral votes to whichever presidential ticket wins the overall popular vote in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The time to stop its momentum is now. 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. Because every vote is equal inside Ohio or Florida, presidential candidates avidly seek out voters in small, medium, and large towns. Electoral College vs. National Popular Vote - BohatALA Why National Popular Vote Would Be a Disaster for America (and NPV ThoughtCo, Dec. 16, 2020, thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. The only election in the United States which is not governed by the popular vote is the presidential election. It would eliminate the threat of a faithless elector. . It gives more voting power to individual voters in smaller states. The plan would not get rid of the Electoral College. It would reduce the threshold necessary to win the office. 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. That view of democracy recognizes the existence and desirability of organized interests and enshrines that principle under the concept of pluralism. There are pros and cons to both systems. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. Opines that the national popular vote plan is the wrong way to abolith the electoral college. cons of the national popular vote plan.
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