You may have heard of the Electoral College and how it works, but do you know why people are campaigning to remove it? The Electoral College is an undemocratic system that has been in place in the US since the 18th century. It has been the target of criticism over the years for its unfairness and negative impacts on US politics.
In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 reasons why people are campaigning to remove the Electoral College. This article will explore how the Electoral College is undemocratic, encourages voter suppression, and gives an unfair advantage to incumbent candidates. It will also discuss the longer election cycle, costly and time-consuming process, and its impact on the US political system.
Key Takeaways
- The Electoral College is undemocratic, unjust, and outdated, favoring small, rural states and suppressing votes of people in large, urban states, which disadvantages minority groups and urban areas.
- The winner-takes-all system, which awards all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state, is heavily criticized for creating an unequal playing field, encouraging strategic voting, and potentially leading to candidates winning the electoral vote even if they lost the popular vote.
- The long election cycle that comes with the current system is costly, time-consuming, and decreases voter engagement and turnout in non-swing states, while putting too much emphasis on money and creating a barrier to entry for those without resources.
- Replacing the Electoral College with a direct election of the President would create a fairer and more equitable system, potentially increasing voter turnout, and giving every citizen’s vote equal weight. It would require candidates to shift their campaigning strategies, focus on topics that resonate with more voters, and lead to more meaningful conversations between candidates, parties, and the electorate.
1. Undemocratic Nature of the Electoral College
The Electoral College isn’t democratic – it’s undemocratic, unjust, and outdated. This system of selecting the President of the United States is a relic from the 18th century, when it was thought that the American public was not knowledgeable or sophisticated enough to make a decision in a direct election.
This has led to a system where the popular vote does not always translate to a win in the Electoral College. This has happened multiple times in US history, including the most recent election in 2016.
Furthermore, the Electoral College system is highly undemocratic because it heavily favors the small, rural states. This is because the number of electors given to each state is determined by the population, which favors the smaller states. This means that the votes of people in rural states count for more than the votes of people in large, urban states. This has resulted in the election of Presidents who did not win the popular vote, such as George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016.
The Electoral College also has a tendency to encourage voter suppression. This is because the votes of some states are rendered irrelevant due to their status as safe states for one party. As a result, those states have no incentive to encourage voter turnout, which results in lower turnout among certain groups. This has been especially true in the southern states, where voter suppression tactics have been used to discourage African-American voters from casting their ballots.
The undemocratic nature of the Electoral College has led many people to campaign for its removal. They argue that it is no longer necessary and serves only to disenfranchise voters, particularly those from minority communities.
This has led to a groundswell of support for the direct election of the President, which would allow all votes to count equally and eliminate the need for the Electoral College.
2. Encourages Voter Suppression
You may be surprised to learn that the Electoral College can actually encourage voter suppression. Disenfranchisement of minority voters and disadvantages for urban areas are two key points to consider.
This is because the Electoral College system allows state legislatures to manipulate voting laws in order to benefit their preferred political party. Consequently, this can lead to restrictive voting laws that may limit access to the ballot box, especially for minority groups.
Disenfranchisement of Minority Voters
Minorities’ votes often go unrepresented due to the Electoral College, leaving them disenfranchised. This is because the voting power of minorities is not as strong as that of other groups, due to the way that electoral votes are allocated to different states.
This means that a minority group’s vote may be diluted because it is spread over a larger number of electoral votes. This has led to a situation where the Electoral College does not accurately represent the will of the minority voter, and their vote is often discounted in the final result.
This can lead to a sense of disenfranchisement among minority groups, as their vote is not as influential as that of other groups. Moreover, it can create a sense of alienation from the political process, as their vote is not seen to be as valuable or important as other groups.
This is a major reason why many people are campaigning for the removal of the Electoral College, in order to ensure that every vote is given a fair chance of being represented in the final result.
Disadvantages for Urban Areas
Urban areas often suffer from the effects of the Electoral College, as their votes can be diluted and overshadowed. This is especially true in states where the majority of voters are concentrated in one or two urban areas, which don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire state.
Furthermore, candidates tend to focus on swing states, such as Florida and Ohio, instead of states with large urban populations. This means that the interests of large urban areas can be overlooked or ignored, as candidates try to appeal to the largest possible number of voters. As a result, urban areas can be left out of the electoral process altogether, leading to feelings of disenfranchisement and frustration.
Additionally, it can lead to a disproportionate representation of rural interests, which can further alienate urban voters. The Electoral College can also have a negative impact on the political process in urban areas, as candidates may avoid taking stances on issues that could be unpopular in swing states.
This can lead to a lack of engagement with the political process in urban areas, as urban voters may feel that their votes aren’t valued or taken into account by candidates. This could lead to further apathy and disillusionment in the political process, as urban voters may feel that their interests aren’t being represented.
Ultimately, the disadvantages of the Electoral College for urban areas can be significant, leading to feelings of disenfranchisement and alienation.
3. Candidates Focus on Swing States
Candidates’ focus on swing states gives them an advantage, as they can heavily influence the outcome of a presidential election without having to win the popular vote. This allows them to target states with smaller populations, as their efforts are likely to yield more results in those states than in larger ones.
This can be seen in the disproportionate amount of time, money, and resources that candidates will spend in swing states in an effort to maximize their chances of winning. This then has a ripple effect, as those states become more likely to vote for the candidate who has been focusing their attention there.
What this means is that those states are likely to get more attention from the sitting president if they are successful in electing them. This can lead to those states receiving more federal funding and resources than other states. This can also mean that candidates who are focused on those swing states are more likely to get their policies enacted, as they are in positions of power.
The problem with this is that it can lead to a lack of attention being paid to other states and their needs. This can lead to those states feeling like their voices are not being heard, and that their concerns are not being addressed. This can lead to a sense of disenfranchisement among those states, which can lead to a lack of voter participation in the electoral process.
By focusing on swing states, it is possible that candidates are creating an unequal playing field for all states. This can lead to a situation where the needs of some states are put ahead of others, creating an imbalance in the way the president handles issues. This can lead to further frustration with the electoral college and fuel the movement to abolish it.
Transitioning to a winner-takes-all system would create a more equal playing field and could address some of the issues that come with the current electoral system.
4. Winner-Takes-All System
A winner-takes-all system would create a more level playing field by eliminating the need for candidates to focus their efforts on swing states. This system is used in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia, and it awards all of the state’s electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state.
This means that even if the popular vote is close, the electoral vote will go entirely to the candidate who wins the popular vote, regardless of the margin of victory. This system has been heavily criticized for its ability to give disproportionate influence to a few swing states, while ignoring the wishes of the majority of the population in other states.
The winner-takes-all system encourages strategic voting, as candidates are more likely to invest their resources in a few swing states, rather than in states where their victory is largely assured or impossible. This means that the votes of citizens in those swing states are weighted more heavily than the votes of citizens in other states, creating an unequal playing field for candidates. This can lead to candidates winning the electoral vote, even if they lost the popular vote.
In addition, the winner-takes-all system ignores the wishes of the citizens of the majority of states. In some states, the popular vote can be very close, yet all of the electoral votes will still go to the same candidate. This can lead to candidates with less than fifty percent of the popular vote still winning the presidency. This has happened in several elections throughout history, most recently in 2016.
The winner-takes-all system also discourages voter participation, as voters in states where the outcome is largely assured are less likely to participate in the election, since their votes will not have much of an impact. This has been a major source of contention for those who are advocating for the elimination of the electoral college, as it leads to an unequal representation of the population’s will in the presidential election.
Without the need to focus on swing states, candidates could focus on issues that affect all Americans, rather than just those in a few key states. This would create a more representative electoral process and could help to increase voter turnout.
5. Encourages Strategic Voting
By encouraging strategic voting, the winner-takes-all system incentivizes candidates to focus their efforts on a few key swing states, rather than on all of the states in the nation. This means that some states are neglected in the election season, making it harder for candidates to reach out or to connect with voters in those states.
Additionally, the winner-takes-all system also makes it so that the popular vote is not always reflected in the Electoral College vote. This is because a candidate can receive the Electoral College majority in the swing states without necessarily winning the popular vote. The result of this is that the Electoral College can override the popular vote, which has happened in the past and could happen again in the future.
Furthermore, the winner-takes-all system can lead to increased divisiveness among voters. This is because candidates are incentivized to focus on swing states and the Electoral College over the popular vote, which could lead to a situation where some states are valued more than others. This could lead to a feeling of alienation among those voters whose states are not prioritized. As such, the winner-takes-all system can be seen as perpetuating a sense of inequality between states.
The winner-takes-all system also creates the potential for contested elections. This is because if a candidate wins a majority of the Electoral College votes, but not the popular vote, then it is possible that both candidates could claim victory. This could lead to a situation where the election results are disputed and the final outcome is uncertain. This potential for contested elections is seen by many as a major flaw of the Electoral College and is one of the reasons why people are campaigning to remove it.
The winner-takes-all system thus has a number of drawbacks that can lead to situations where the popular vote is not reflected in the Electoral College vote, where some states are valued more than others, and where contested elections are possible. As such, it’s not surprising that many people are campaigning to remove the Electoral College. To explore this further, it’s important to examine the potential for contested elections.
6. Potential for Contested Elections
The potential for contested elections due to the winner-takes-all system is one of the primary concerns of those who oppose it. This system has the potential to distort the national popular vote. For example, in the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore won the national popular vote but George W. Bush won the electoral college vote and became president.
This result caused significant controversy and led to a recount of votes in Florida. The election of 2000 is not an isolated incident either. Throughout American history, there have been several cases of presidential candidates winning the popular vote but losing the election due to the electoral college.
This has resulted in a situation where elections can be contested, as candidates try to overturn electoral college results. This has led to a situation where the will of the people is not always represented in the election of the president. The potential for contested elections undermines the democratic process.
It can lead to a situation where the popular vote is not respected and the outcome of the election is determined by the electoral college instead. This means that the presidential candidates that win the most votes may not necessarily be the ones that are elected, creating a situation of unfairness and confusion.
This has caused many opponents of the electoral college to call for its abolition, arguing that it creates an opportunity for elections to be contested and gives an unfair advantage to incumbent candidates. They argue that the will of the people should be respected and that the president should be elected by the national popular vote.
7. Unfair Advantage for Incumbent Candidates
You may feel that incumbent candidates have an unfair advantage when it comes to the electoral college system, as they often have the resources and name recognition to more easily compete in elections. This gives them a significant head start when it comes to campaigning and fundraising, and can lead to an advantage that is difficult to overcome.
Additionally, the current system incentivizes incumbents to focus on swing states, allowing them to use their resources more effectively while ignoring other states. This focus on swing states can lead to a situation where the popular vote is ignored, as the electoral college system is based on the outcome of individual states. This can lead to candidates winning the electoral college without winning the popular vote, something that has occurred in five presidential elections throughout US history. This can be seen as an unfair advantage for incumbents, as they are more likely to benefit from this system.
Furthermore, the current system has been accused of creating a longer election cycle. This gives incumbents more time to build their name recognition and resources, as well as providing them with more opportunities to raise money for their campaigns. This can be especially true in states with competitive races, as incumbents can use the extra time to their advantage.
The current system of the electoral college has been accused of creating an unfair advantage for incumbent candidates. This is due to the resources and name recognition that they already have, as well as the ability to focus on swing states, and the potential for a longer election cycle. All of these advantages can lead to a system that is not reflective of the popular vote, and can be seen as a potential disadvantage for challengers. Moving forward, it’s important to consider the potential implications of the current system.
8. Longer Election Cycle
Advantageous for incumbents, the current cycle of elections is often extended, providing them with more time to build resources and recognition. This long election cycle can be costly and time-consuming for both the incumbent and challenger.
This lengthy process can lead to popular dissatisfaction with the electoral system, as the process can be seen as a way for the incumbent to increase their chances of re-election. Additionally, citizens may become frustrated with the amount of time and resources required to hold a successful campaign, and the amount of resources needed to convince the electorate to vote in their favor. This can lead to a lack of participation, as citizens may feel that the lengthy process gives their vote a lesser value than that of the incumbent.
Beyond the cost and time required to run a successful campaign, the long election cycle can also lead to a lack of clarity for the electorate. Candidates may focus more on their opponents’ weaknesses rather than their own strengths, which can lead to a muddling of the issues and an overall lack of clarity regarding where a given candidate stands on important topics. This can lead to confusion and apathy within the electorate, as citizens may feel that their vote does not truly reflect their values or beliefs.
The long election cycle can also lead to a sense of disenfranchisement among citizens who do not have the privilege of having their voice heard or their opinion valued. With the lengthy process, the voices of citizens living in marginalized communities are often left unheard, as their vote is not seen as necessary to the outcome of the election. This can lead to a sense of unfairness and injustice, as citizens in these communities are deprived of their right to participate in the democratic process.
Ultimately, the long election cycle can be seen as a way for incumbents to extend their power and influence. This may lead to a lack of enthusiasm among the electorate, as citizens may feel that their vote is not valued in the process. Furthermore, it can lead to a feeling of disenfranchisement among citizens living in marginalized communities who are deprived of their right to participate in the electoral process. As a result, many citizens are campaigning to remove the electoral college in order to create a system that is fairer and more equitable for all.
9. Costly and Time-Consuming Process
Running a successful campaign in a long election cycle can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, draining resources from both the incumbent and challenger. Many political commentators argue that this long cycle puts too much emphasis on money, which disproportionately favors those with deep pockets and access to large donors.
Additionally, the long election cycle requires a substantial amount of time and effort from both candidates, and from the people who support them. This can be an especially difficult burden for those who don’t have access to financial resources or time off from work.
The cost of running a campaign is often prohibitive for those without the means to finance it. This includes the cost of travel to campaign events, the cost of setting up a campaign team, and the cost of advertising and publicizing the candidacy. Further, the cost of maintaining a campaign for a long period of time can be too high for many candidates. This leaves out those who are unable to finance their own campaigns or who don’t have access to large donors.
The time required for a long election cycle can also be a barrier for those running for office. In addition to the amount of time it takes to set up a campaign and maintain it, the candidates must also spend time participating in debates, attending campaign events, and engaging with potential voters. This leaves little time for anything else, and can become a full-time job for many candidates.
The high costs and long election cycle associated with running for office can create a barrier to entry for those without access to financial resources or time off from work. This can lead to a political system that does not represent the diversity of voices in the country, and can lead to a system heavily influenced by those with the most financial resources. This is one of the reasons many are campaigning to remove the Electoral College and move to a popular vote. The effects of this would have a significant impact on the US political system.
10. Impact on the US Political System
You may be wondering how the Electoral College affects the US political system. It has changed the way candidates campaign and has had a significant impact on voter turnout.
Candidates now campaign in fewer states due to the fact that they’re focused on winning the electoral votes of key states rather than the national popular vote. This has caused a decrease in voter engagement in states that aren’t considered ‘swing states.’
Additionally, the Electoral College has also caused a decrease in voter turnout, as voters in non-swing states feel their votes aren’t as valuable as those in other states.
Changes in the Way Candidates Campaign
By replacing the Electoral College with a popular vote system, candidates would have to shift their campaigning strategies to appeal to a larger and more diverse voting population. This would require candidates to pay more attention to smaller states and regions in order to win the popular vote.
Politicians would also have to get creative in their approach to campaigning, relying more heavily on digital and social media outlets to reach more people. Furthermore, candidates would have to be more deliberate in their messaging and focus on topics that will resonate with more voters, rather than simply appealing to their party base. This could potentially lead to more meaningful conversations between candidates, parties, and the electorate at large.
As a result, the candidates’ overall platforms and policy promises would likely become more meaningful and relevant to the public. All of this would require a significant shift in the way campaigns are run, but it could result in a more representative government.
Impact on Voter Turnout
Replacing the Electoral College with a popular vote system could potentially lead to an increase in voter turnout. This is because it would give every citizen’s vote equal weight and would make every vote count for the same amount. This could create a greater sense of urgency for individuals to vote, as they would know that their vote would have a direct impact on the outcome of the election.
This could encourage more people to take part in the democratic process, as they would be confident that their vote would make a difference. Additionally, the elimination of the Electoral College could also reduce the amount of time and money that candidates spend campaigning in certain states, allowing them to focus more on issues that matter to voters across the country.
This could result in more voters feeling engaged in the national conversation and could also make the election process more transparent.
Conclusion
You’ve seen the top 10 reasons why people are campaigning to remove the electoral college. It’s an undemocratic system that can lead to voter suppression, strategic voting, and an unfair advantage for incumbent candidates.
It’s a long, costly, and time-consuming process that ultimately has a considerable impact on the US political system. It’s clear that the electoral college needs to go.
People are taking action to make sure their voices are heard and that their votes are counted. Let’s make sure our leaders are held accountable and make sure we’re electing the best candidates for the job.
