This blog post is a joint effort with Leslie Francis, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. There are a number of pros for this method. A candidate can win the popular vote in enough states to win a majority of electoral votes but still lose the popular vote nationally. In contrast, in a direct popular election, each vote matters equally. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. This was the intent of the Founding Fathers. But the national popular vote plan doesn't require a . Currently, the National Popular Vote bill has 172 electoral votes. 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. Watch out! The official 2016 election results from the Electoral College gave Donald J. Trump the victory with 306 electoral votes v. Hillary Clinton's 232 votes. 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. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. Explains kimberling, william c., and dave leip's . cons of the national popular vote plansuper lemon haze greenhouse. 7. Longley, Robert. Nevada passed the legislation in 2019, but Gov. That would give the Compact states only 3 days( and two of those days were weekend days) to certify their state votes. Moving to the popular vote structure would eliminate this potential issue. Post author: Post published: June 29, 2022 Post category: Uncategorized Post comments: paris apartment eiffel tower view for sale paris apartment eiffel tower view for sale On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. 1. Rebekah Richards is a professional writer with work published in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "Brandeis University Law Journal" and online at tolerance.org. 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. 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. 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. 5. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. Thats a bank of about 14 million potential voters that reliably vote as a majority for Democratic candidates. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. But if we set politics aside and focus on what is really best for democracy in our country in the long run I believe that the advantages of using the NPV compact to elect our president outweigh the disadvantages and the best way to elect our president in the 21st century is by direct popular vote using Ranked Choice Voting. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. Definition and Examples, Learn How Many Total Electoral Votes There Are. For the 7 presidential elections between 1992-2016, the Republican candidate has won the Electoral college 3 times. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. N.p., n.d. 5. 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. List of the Cons of Using the Popular Vote 1. While we look further into the National Popular Vote, lets investigate some of its pro and cons for the American democracy. Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. 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. Less would get done, which would affect the needs of households at the local level. In contrast, other issues related to the federal government are not exclusively entrusted to the states, and therefore the states lack the power to alter them. Candidates feel these states need a little bit more of their attention and apply pressure to supply these states with solutions to their problems in order to gain their vote. 1. In states with large population centers, individual voters have less power than voters in smaller states. The National Popular Vote plan does not do away with the Electoral College system, an action that would require a constitutional amendment. 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. Samploon is a database of free essay samples. If the presidential election were switched to the popular vote, then it would only take about 35% of the vote for a candidate to win. 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. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Their answer is simple: one in which every citizen's vote is equal to every other citizen's vote and one in which the winner of the presidential popular vote, no matter how small his or her percentage is of those who voted, would be elected. A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. ThoughtCo. 2. State Question 820 lays out a statutory framework for a recreational industry that would begin about 90 days after election results are certified. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. Although it is sometimes conjectured that a national popular election would focus only on big cities, it is clear that this would not be the case. Published: Mar. 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. Regional candidates could secure enough votes to win a national election. NPV supporters claim, accurately, that a direct election for president would reduce or eliminate the possibility that a fringe candidate (like a Ralph Nader or Ron Paul) winning five percent or less of the vote in a single state could serve to defeat a major party candidate from the same side of the political spectrum. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. 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). Electoral college reform proposals include (1) the district plan, awarding each state's two at-large electoral votes to the statewide popular vote winners, and one electoral vote to the winning candidates in each congressional district; (2) the proportional plan, awarding electoral votes in states in direct proportion to the popular vote gained Inside Ohio or Florida, to pick two examples, the big cities do not receive all the attention, and they certainly do not control the outcome. 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. 1. National Popular Vote compact pros and cons. 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. Make a contribution to support Common Cause today. 6. How Many Electoral Votes Does a Candidate Need to Win? If some of the 50 states and DC cannot certify their popular votes by the December deadline that could create a constitutional crisis where we would not have all of the state Electoral College votes certified by the time the Electoral College is required to vote according to the Constitution. 3. During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. A popular vote election takes all ballots that are cast, counts them, and declares the winner based on who received the most votes. A direct popular election would make it more possible for third-party candidates to succeed and would also encourage political parties to become more radical and extreme. The National Popular Vote compact would have the same effect as a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College but has the benefit of retaining the power to control presidential elections in states hands. 2. Home| Government| Elections| Electoral College| Electoral College Pros And Cons. How the National Popular Vote Plan Would Work. 4. The Electoral College system, however imperfect, serves this broader view of democracy. 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. 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. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. 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 . 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. 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. F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were elected with less than a majority of the votes cast. 6. All other votes cast for that candidate are therefore superfluous. This has occurred in 5 of the nation's 56 presidential elections, most recently in 2016. Because of the Winner-Take-All state laws candidates for president only campaign and spend their money in 12-13 swing states because voters in those few swing states determine who wins the election and presidential candidates totally ignore voters in the rest of the country(except to raise money). In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. This divide creates natural divisions between groups of people who both support their country, but in different ways. 1. 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. Web. The bill has crossed paths with 36 legislative chambers and has been sponsored or voted for by 3,112 state legislators (National Popular Vote). 48 Vitosha Boulevard, ground floor, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria, Samploon, Inc. 2022. It has also happened four times out of the 56 presidential elections. By continuing well assume youre on board with our, https://samploon.com/electoral-college-and-national-popular-vote-pros-and-cons/, Select a writer from a large pool of experts. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, What Is Statutory Law? Under the Electoral College system, voters in states that are overwhelmingly in support of one candidate might feel like their vote is unimportant. The National Bonus Plan maintains the Electoral College voting system but adds 102 bonus electoral votes to the existing 538 votes. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Note: Today we are in a phase where the popular vote in presidential elections leans Democratic. The years-old effort is slowly making its way through state legislatures in hopes of changing the way 6. National Popular Vote values rural and urban voters equally. Voters in spectator states, including five of the nations 10 most populous states (California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey), and 12 of the 13 least populous states (all but New Hampshire) have no real incentive to go to the polls as their votes do not affect the outcome of the election. This brings us to 196 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the pact. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such.
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