national popular vote plan pros and cons

4. Understand how the Electoral College system works. When you talk about the Electoral College shaping the election, it shapes the election all the time because it puts the focus on certain states and not others, said Alexander Keyssar, a professor of history and social policy at Harvard University. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. popular vote pros and cons-shootings in south dallasshootings in south dallas The same thing happened in 2016, when Donald Trump won the electoral college vote over Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote to Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. The official general election results indicate that Trump received 304 Electoral College votes and 46.09% of the popular vote (62,984,825 votes), and Hillary Clinton received 227 Electoral College votes and 48.18% of the popular vote (65,853,516 votes). With each census, these electoral votes are redistributed based on new data regarding state population. 5. It could help to reduce partisanship. 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. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators Rebekah Richards is a professional writer with work published in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "Brandeis University Law Journal" and online at tolerance.org. Eliminating the winner-take-all requirement of the Electoral College at the state level would lessen the tendency for the swing states to dominate the electoral process. The NPV Interstate Compact does not eliminate the very complicated Electoral College system that most voters dont really understand. Yes. Lastly, an election-related case could find its way to the Supreme Court, which would lend greater importance to the judicial makeup of the court, Professor Wehle said. Pros And Cons Of Campaign Finance Reform - 640 Words | 123 Help Me Maryland and New Jersey passed this bill in 2007, Hawaii and Illinois in 2008, Washington in 2009, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia in 2010, California and Vermont in 2011, Rhode Island in 2013, New York in 2014 and Connecticut in 2018. 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. The Electoral College is very undemocratic and riddled with issues. 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. The Pros and Cons of Pooled Employer Plans: Debate. 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. The Electoral College has also awarded the presidency to candidates with a plurality of the popular vote (under 50 percent) in a number of cases, notably Abraham Lincoln in 1860, John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. NCSL helps draft bills, organize workshops and convene legislative-executive teams. Fellows will focus on important federal legislation, and find ways they can improve their state's child welfare program. The bill has crossed paths with 36 legislative chambers and has been sponsored or voted for by 3,112 state legislators (National Popular Vote). Winner Takes All: The Popular Vote Versus Electoral College For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. THE LONGEST NIGHT - California Digital Library If the National Popular Vote bill was secured within the American government, it would protect every vote and would allow those votes to equally matter in the presidential election. Moving to the popular vote structure would eliminate this potential issue. 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. Certain penalties exist in other states. The National Bonus Plan was proposed by historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Although Al Gore won the popular vote, George W. Bush earned more electoral votes after a contested Florida recount and a Supreme Court decision. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. 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. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. Some states replace electors and cancel their votes if they break their pledge. 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. 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 Currently, candidates focus more on swing and battleground states to help them gain those electoral votes. Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. Two-thirds of the campaign events were in four states, Florida, Iowa, Virginia, and Ohio, that year. Why does the system continue? This means that the U.S. would fundamentally be unable to pay back its existing loans, described by Bloomberg as a "major disaster" that could significantly impact the world economy. Everything You Need to Know About the National Popular Vote Interstate 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. Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power. 18 Pros and Cons of Popular Vote - Vittana.org After the process, the President of the Senate reveals who has officially been voted in as President and Vice President of the United States. Due to some states being heavily populated in comparison to others, that may help a candidate quickly obtain a win. The only election in the United States which is not governed by the popular vote is the presidential election. Dont know what Ranked Choice Voting is? Electoral College vs. popular vote in the United States Currently, the National Popular Vote bill has 172 electoral votes. 3. Once effective, states could withdraw from the compact at any time except during the six-month window between July 20 of an election year and Inauguration Day (January 20). Two exceptions are Maine and Nebraska, which rely on congressional districts to divvy up electoral votes. Pros and Cons of The U.S. Electoral College - National Popular Vote Should that happen, then the final decision of who gets to serve as President of the United States is taken away from individual voters. 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. At the moment, 98 more electoral votes are needed to pass this bill in all 50 states (National Conference of State Legislators). 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 . A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. 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. It could encourage voter turnout. National Popular Vote Movement - Common Cause | Get Involved Critics, however, argue that Founders reasoning is no longer relevant as todays voters are better-educated and have virtually unlimited access to information and to the candidates stances on the issues. When you cast your ballot, you're not actually voting directly for your favored presidential candidate. 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. High Credit Score Borrowers Penalized Under New Federal Mortgage Fee Plan The National Popular Vote (NPV) refers to the concept of allocating a state's presidential electors to the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide regardless of the state results in a presidential election. PDF The Direct Election Plan - tesd.net It isnt impossible to pass a Constitutional amendment, though history shows that it is not an easy process to complete. 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. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. 1. President Trump had earned 232 electoral . To determine the National Popular Vote winner, state election officials simply would tally the nationwide vote for president based on each states official results. It would require an Amendment in the U.S. for presidential elections. The Electoral College system has been a topic of debate for many years. The winner would receive all of the compact states electoral votes, giving them at least the necessary 270 to win the White House. Candidates feel they either cant win or lose with the votes from these states. Lastly, the biggest problem that the Electoral College produces is the reality that a persons vote really doesnt matter (Black). BREAKING NEWS: Announcing the 2022 NAPA Top DC Advisor Teams. National Archives:U.S. This outdated institution creates unnecessary . Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. on Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, Follow All U.S. Citizens Should Vote. 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. The Electoral College - Top 3 Pros and Cons Pro: It's the only way to avoid defaulting. 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. We have seen this outcome in the 2016 Presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and in the 2000 election between George H.W. The electoral college leads to a heavy emphasis on swing states and also typically over-represents citizens in rural states. Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. We answer more than 20,000 requests for information a year. In fact, part of a presidential candidates campaign strategy is drawing a map of states the candidate can and must win to gather 270 electoral votes. Ask your students what they remember about the 2016 election. Additionally, the Founders reasoned that the system would prevent states with larger populations from having an unequal influence on the election. Texas has 38. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop. NCSL staff are prepared to visit your state to work with legislators and staff on almost any public policy issue or issue related to the management of a legislature. In the U.S., that means people who lean Democratic live in urban areas, while people who lean Republican live in rural areas. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Donald Trump won the presidential election by securing 304 electoral votes, compared to Hillary Clintons 227 electoral votes. 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. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. If that happens in the Electoral College, then the decision goes to the newly seated House of Representatives, with each state voting as a unit. Some states list electors names on the general election ballot. I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. If you need 321 electoral votes to win, and you can get 102 by winning the national 354 popular plurality, you need only 219 of the state electoral votes. Analysis of the Congressional-District Method of Awarding Electoral Votes Breaking News: Biden Vetoes Congressional Resolution Blocking ESG Rule . Regional candidates could secure enough votes to win a national election. 3. The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College | ipl.org Outgrowing the Electoral College - Purdue Policy Research Institute Blog Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. However, there are proposals to reform the Electoral College without abolishing it. Most are, and it helps to think of voting on a state-by-state basis, Professor Amar said. You can use essay samples to find ideas and inspiration for your paper. 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. 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. 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. During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. Change). At a time of little national identity and competition among the states, there were concerns that people would favor their regional candidates and that big states with denser populations would dominate the vote. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. On Dec. 14, as electors gathered across the country to cast their ballots, Joseph R. Biden Jr. had earned 306 electoral votes, 36 more than needed to win. In contrast, in a direct popular election, each vote matters equally. 2. Read the overview below to gain an understanding of the process and explore the previews of opinion articles that highlight diverging views on this voting system. Under the current structure of the electoral college, the focus of a presidential campaign is on the so-called battleground states. One of the main critiques of the Electoral College is that because 48 states choose to allocate electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis (the College is established by the Constitution, but the . There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an election. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. When a popular vote is held for a national office, the election becomes more about platform issues than local issues. This unique system of electing presidents is a big reason why Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. Rescue crews are fighting rugged terrain in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as search efforts for a missing man remain ongoing. Find the most comprehensive and complete 50-state information in NCSL's searchable bill tracking databases. The obvious reason to keep raising the debt ceiling is that it avoids defaulting on the nation's debts. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. It did not change the outcome. In U.S. history, there has been one vice-presidential candidate who died after being nominated and one that withdrew from their partys ticket. A direct popular election also ensures that citizens' votes have equal weight. When Americans cast their ballots, they are actually voting for a slate of electors appointed by their states political parties who are pledged to support that partys candidate. 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 would increase the amount of polarization being experienced in politics today because there would be less of a need to compromise. This divide creates natural divisions between groups of people who both support their country, but in different ways. End with a class discussion. 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. Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. 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. Wyoming had just 3 electoral votes, but only had 255,000 voters as well. Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. Currently, 48 of the 50 states follow the winner-take-all rule. Its the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, that determines who wins the presidency. The system had some unusual results from the start, as evident in the election of 1800, a tie in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received an equal number of electoral votes. cons of the national popular vote plan - ssmthope.org The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. https://www.thoughtco.com/electoral-college-pros-and-cons-4686409 (accessed May 1, 2023). Sets found in the same folder. Our experts will write for you an essay on any topic, with any deadline and requirements from scratch, Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons. This new series from the AP is dedicated to answering commonly asked questions from our audience about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Here are the essential pros and cons of popular vote elections to examine. 3. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. People are moving to live in like-minded communities more than ever before. 6. To be elected president, the winner must get at least half plus one or 270 electoral votes. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. Watch out! 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. Probably the NPV Compact would be enacted into law with as little as a simple majority of the states and possibly even less. Analyzing the Pros and Cons of Electoral College Reform: Should We 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. Disadvantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. The states' approval of the compact is a victory for democracy and the principle of "one person, one vote." What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? PBS: What does voter turnout tell us about the 2016 election. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some .

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