Although this may limit the amount of diversity that occurs in office, and may generate extra financial costs, the argument could be made that these risks outweigh the results of an election where a majority of states, not a majority of people, put someone into office. (LogOut/ Under the current structure of presidential elections in the U.S., the states become a battleground of red states vs. blue states. Without any sort of broad support, the politics of the country could become even more fractured than they already are. For more information, please see our 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. Electoral College vs. National Popular Vote - BohatALA cons of the national popular vote plan The Supreme Court has said in local and state elections voting should be based on the principle of one person one vote. Pros And Cons Of Popular Vote - 558 Words | Studymode This National Popular Vote Compact wouldn't take effect until states with 270 electors a majority joined in. (2021, Jun 14). The alternative view of democracy is more complex; it is one that includes but is not limited to the pursuit of equality. The horror of a potential national recount is only one of the dangers direct presidential elections poses. Just another site cons of the national popular vote plan . Analyzes how william c. kimberling, the deputy director of the federal election commission, is a credible author over the issue. That means some voters, like Republicans in California or Democrats in Mississippi, are voting without power and without attention from their preferred candidates each year. National Popular Vote - Pros and Cons : r/NeutralPolitics - reddit 6. Less would get done, which would affect the needs of households at the local level. 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). Longley, Robert. Destroying the Electoral College: The Anti-Federalist National Popular Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. NCSL conducts policy research in areas ranging from agriculture and budget and tax issues to education and health care to immigration and transportation. 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. It would eliminate the Congressional provisions for a non-majority election. mike matarazzo last photo. In summary, a popular vote is simply a vote in which the individual or issue with the most total votes from a population of voters is the winner. 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 advantage of this system is that it preserves the preferences of. Surprisingly enough, the National Popular Vote bill could possibly bring forth some problems. That created a voter value of 2.85. 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. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. It understands that while the nation is one union, it is also an amalgam of varying experiences and perspectives arrived at via the settings and unique problems surrounding those who live in different places, and that these differences fall within the broad rubric of federalism. For example, if a state used NPV and voted for candidate A, but candidate B received the most votes nationwide, the state would allocate its presidential electors to candidate B. 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. Thats the way it has been in this country for a long time. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact collectively apportions votes to the winner of the overall popular vote without a constitutional amendment abolishing the electoral college or the assent of Congress. One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. Of the 538 Electoral College votes available, Donald J. Trump received 304 votes, Hillary Clinton received 227 votes, and seven votes went to others: three for Colin Powell, one for Faith Spotted Eagle, one for John Kasich, one for Ron Paul, and one for Bernie Sanders). After the process, the President of the Senate reveals who has officially been voted in as President and Vice President of the United States. The Electoral College is very undemocratic and riddled with issues. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. In a closely contested direct popular election, every precinct across the country might require close examination, rather than a handful of states or precincts. 2015. June 7, 2022 . It could help to reduce partisanship. The National Popular Vote Bill is a bill for Americans interested in both preserving our Electoral College and reforming the shortcomings of our current "winner-take-all" system that awards all the electors of one state to the candidate who wins in that particular state and . 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. It is our national motto and is so for a reason. 1. 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. 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? Washington, DC 20005, Common Cause pays tribute to our leader, our friend, and a lifelong advocate for our democracy, Constitution, Courts & Other Democracy Issues, Ensure Fair Districts & Reflective Democracy, Expand Voting Rights & Election Integrity, Promote Free Speech & Accountability in Media, Protect the Constitution, Courts & Other Democracy Reforms. 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. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators The electoral college leads to a heavy emphasis on swing states and also typically over-represents citizens in rural states. Definition and Examples, How Political Party Convention Delegates are Chosen, What Is a Caucus? A candidate can win the popular vote in enough states to win a majority of electoral votes but still lose the popular vote nationally. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. Today the Democrats want to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system with a direct popular vote and the Republicans adamantly want to keep it. 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. 8. Published: Mar. 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. tobin james the blend 2017 ; real estate marketing solutions; cons of the national popular vote plan; lassi kefalonia shops cons of the national popular vote plan This feature is critical to the passionate bipartisan support the compact receives. cons of the national popular vote plan - demo.bobbiclayton.com In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. The method works by electing one elector within each congressional district by popular vote and selecting the remaining two electors by a statewide popular vote. 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. 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. 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 of the 2000 presidential election. 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 . That would likely reduce the number of voters who cast a ballot in each election as most people are more concerned about local impacts than national policies. Advantages & Disadvantages of a Direct Popular Election The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. Here are six reasons why legislators should reject this attempt to jettison our electoral system: 1. Although many supporters of the electoral college argue that a two-party political system is more stable, some critics counter that having more than two parties would give Americans more choice. 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. Similarly, because a national campaign mandates a national message, there would also be a smaller incentive for coalition-building or taking into account the characteristics, needs and desires of citizens in differing states and regions. Candidates get one vote for every congressional district they win, and then two votes for winning the state-wide vote. I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. A plan to enact the National Popular Vote was introduced in the Michigan Legislature on Wednesday. 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. The National Popular Vote Plan to Bypass the Electoral College - ThoughtCo Lincoln Chafee (D) made his state the latest to sign on. This blog post is a joint effort with Leslie Francis, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Due to some states being heavily populated in comparison to others, that may help a candidate quickly obtain a win. 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. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. Under the current structure of the electoral college, the focus of a presidential campaign is on the so-called battleground states. Some critics argue that more people would vote in a direct popular election, according to the University of the Pacific. Bosque de Palabras Rural voters would almost always be in the minority. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. 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. 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. 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. 3. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. Under the electoral college system (and other voting systems not based on popular voting), it only takes one extra vote more than the other candidate to create the needed results for the election. Because there was a difference of less than 1,000 tabulated votes between George W. Bush and Al Gore in one state, Florida, the nation watched as 6 million votes were recounted by machine, several hundred thousand were recounted by hand in counties with differing recount standards, partisan litigators fought each other in state and federal courts, the secretary of state backed by the majority of state legislators (all Republicans) warred with the state's majority Democratic judiciary -- until 37 days after the election the U.S. Supreme Court, in a bitterly controversial 5-4 decision effectively declared Bush the winner. How the National Popular Vote Plan Would Work. The states that join the NPV Compact will not be able to certify their Electoral College Votes until all 50 states and DC certify their state popular votes and any mandated/requested recounts since the Compact state ECVs are dependent on the winner of the national popular vote and not just their own state popular votes. The time to stop its momentum is now. Common Cause That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. Activating the National Popular Vote compact would reshape our . The popular vote currently gives every citizenCalifornians and Texans, Hawaiians and Mainers, Alabamans and Oregoniansan equal say in choosing the president. First it would be relatively easy to implement. The National Popular Vote Bill is not a Democrat or Republican bill. For example: States already have the power to award their electors to the winner of the national popular vote, although this would be disadvantageous to the state that did so unless it was joined simultaneously by other states that represent a majority of electoral votes. 1, 2023 at 1:16 PM PST. I will explain that in another blog post. 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. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047 (accessed March 4, 2023). The votes of those who do not live in closely divided battleground states effectively count less. It happened once, in 1876. You can use essay samples to find ideas and inspiration for your paper. Cookie Notice The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset 48 Vitosha Boulevard, ground floor, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria, Samploon, Inc. 2022. All states could adopt the system that now exists in Maine and Nebraska, where all but two electors are chosen by congressional district, and the other two go to the statewide winner. Longley, Robert. Because of the winner-take-all rule, a candidate can be elected president without winning the most popular votes nationwide. When the Constitution was set in place in 1789, the U.S. elected its first president. Even though pre-election polls made conspicuous predictions of Hilary Clinton winning the presidency and . PBS: What does voter turnout tell us about the 2016 election. Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. what connection type is known as "always on"? If that was to take place, America could potentially face the same issues it is facing now. Congressional Digest The National Popular Vote Instead of a direct popular election, the United States has the Electoral College, a group of electors who represent each state's votes. 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. 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. Dont know what Ranked Choice Voting is? In states with large population centers, individual voters have less power than voters in smaller states. Or states might explore what was recently proposed in Colorado -- that electors be allocated in proportion to each candidate's share of the popular vote above a certain threshold. A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. and our Like most issues involving politics, the U.S. Constitution is largely silent on the political issues of presidential elections. After all, is said and done, the candidate who attains the largest number of votes can still lose. Battleground states would disappear in U.S. elections. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. 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. Candidates feel they either cant win or lose with the votes from these states. I am confident that when we enter the next phase where the popular vote leans Republican that Republicans will change and be adamant that we should elect the president by direct popular vote and Democrats will be arguing why we should keep the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. Each vote would affect each candidate instead of being overlooked due to which state those votes would be coming from. The framers enacted the provisions relating to the Electoral College to allow for state innovation. National Popular Vote proponents argue that the United States has had four presidential elections in which the plurality winner of the popular vote was not chosen as president. 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. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. 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. With the polarization in global politics today, especially in the United States, a switch to the popular vote would likely increase costs even further. Our state will likely vote overwhelmingly for the Republican challenger to Barack Obama in November. F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were elected with less than a majority of the votes cast. 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). However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. After the 2016 presidential election, political science expert Nate Silver wrote that, since the swing states are not likely to support any plan that might reduce their influence over control of the White House, the National Popular Vote bill will not succeed unless the predominately Republican red states adopt it. The issue raised by the National Popular Vote campaign is fundamental: What kind of a democracy should America be? 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. In the 2016 election, "swing states" that might vote Republican or Democrat like Wisconsin were targets of candidates Donald J. Trump and Hillary R. Clinton. They have only won the popular vote once. Probably the NPV Compact would be enacted into law with as little as a simple majority of the states and possibly even less. evergreen funeral home live stream. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. That view of democracy recognizes the existence and desirability of organized interests and enshrines that principle under the concept of pluralism. Pros and cons of district elections | Columnists | smdailyjournal.com ThoughtCo. National Popular Vote (NPV) - InfluenceWatch

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