The Electoral College is a body of 538 electors that determine who wins the American presidency. While the electors are influenced by the popular vote, the electors’ votes are the determining factor for who becomes president. Famously, George W. Bush and Donald Trump lost the popular vote before heading into the Oval Office. Electors made this possible and their decision supersedes the popular vote. The Electoral College has both support and criticism, as well as people, like me, who actively pray for its downfall.
Some say that America needs The Electoral College because, without it, high-population states would control the vote. In turn, politicians would care only about the needs of those states. My response is, “So what?” If the majority of people agree on a candidate shouldn’t they be listened to regardless of where they live? The Electoral College undermines the individual. Everyone’s vote should carry the same weight. In the disguise of fairness, The Electoral College values the ideals of some voters over others.
Also, The Electoral College disempowers the voters. I can’t say I blame someone for not voting if they know their state won’t be affected by their vote. It’s disheartening to see a state already color-coordinated knowing that one vote of dissension is a meaningless drop in the proverbial bucket. While fans of the dinosaur that is The Electoral College argue that this system keeps states from being favored over each other, we forget about the problem of swing states. All the elections I’ve participated in have been in Michigan. Michigan’s majority party pendulums between Democrats and Republicans and because of that, I felt that not only did my vote matter, but that I was obligated to vote. I’ve recently moved to Maryland, a state that was securely blue in the 2020 presidential race. Even though I’m closer to the White House and surrounded by more politicians than ever, I’m not very excited to vote. I feel as though my voice is drowned out by the electors’.
I’m not alone in this opinion. In a 2023 poll by Pew Research, 65% of adults surveyed favored a popular vote system over the current Electoral College. While this is only one survey, it does paint an important picture of our election system being outdated. Of course, this isn’t hard to believe. Peering through a historical lens, it’s easy to understand why such a system doesn’t work in the digital age. Unlike the time of the founding fathers, just about anyone can google the name of a candidate and their history. If I had to wait for a horse and buggy to deliver my political information, I might be more inclined to leave the election to an informed and educated elector. But, that isn’t our reality anymore. America doesn’t need a babysitter or a moderator to choose our leader.
In fairness, I should mention that as a Democrat, The Electoral College hasn’t really worked in my party’s favor (for example, Clinton’s 2016 loss). Yet, if Texas were to turn blue, The Electoral College would be a dream for my party. Here’s the thing, I don’t want that. If the candidate I support wins based on electors instead of votes, I view that as a technicality, not a deserved victory. Selfishly, I will always want my favorite candidate to win, but not at the expense of direct representation.
I’m twenty-six and although Gen Alpha makes me feel like a senior citizen, I know I have a long life ahead of me. Yet, I worry about my political endurance. How long can I keep up hope and stay engaged when I believe the current system doesn’t respect the individual? The Electoral College to some is a mystery or a half-remembered concept from high school government class. But whether we like it or not, it is every American’s boss in deciding the President of the United States. The Electoral College is on life-support and we need to pull the plug. If my loved ones yank me off a ventilator before The Electoral College, I’m coming back as a very annoying, opinionated ghost.
Photo Credit: Canva
Sources:
[3]https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/817793/why-the-electoral-college-is-vital-no t-outdated/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Pmax_USA_Magazine_21 -June-Intent-Audience-Signals&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw_ZC2BhAQEiwAXSgClmw3qXlQQ mrYWdAHdW32RLPSOAMVwiwsXm5Nn0OI7aDtvfz4EPib-xoC1o0QAvD_BwE
[4]https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/the-2024-swing-states-michigan-could-sw ay-the-2024-election4
[6]https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/25/majority-of-americans-continue-to-f avor-moving-away-from-electoral-college/
Comments