Second, some believe itll intensify election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout (Richards). 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. 3. As with other powers entrusted to the states, it is an application, not a circumvention, of the Constitution when the states utilize those powers as they see fit. 1, 2023 at 1:16 PM PST. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. A plan to enact the National Popular Vote was introduced in the Michigan Legislature on Wednesday. It could help to reduce partisanship. I will explain that in another blog post. A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. It is perhaps the most simplistic form of an election. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? This has occurred in 5 of the nation's 56 presidential elections, most recently in 2016. There are alternatives to winner-take-all that do not involve abandoning the positive aspects of the Electoral College. It is not at all clear that it would similarly prosper under the direct election regime being pushed by NPV. 8. 6. Each vote would affect each candidate instead of being overlooked due to which state those votes would be coming from. An individuals vote doesnt make a difference when it is counted against the votes of the delegates in the House of Representatives and Senate. There are logistical issues that are managed at the local level in each election. Over the long run the countrys popular vote in presidential elections has roughly been equally split between Republican and Democratic.*. Cons: Smaller states don't get as much of a say and people would demand a national recount National Bonus Plan Winner of popular vote gets extra 102 electoral votes Pros: No winner of popular vote losing overall Cons: Basically exactly like the Direct plan District Plan Win popular vote in each district, you get one electoral vote. The lack of competition and campaigning in a majority of states owes itself not to the existence of the Electoral College's indirect method of choosing presidents but rather to the winner-take-all method of choosing electors in all but two states. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. Lastly, some Americans believe that there would be an increase in voter turn-out if people felt that their vote was viewed as a significant asset to their country. mike matarazzo last photo. A faithless elector in the United States is someone who casts an electoral ballot for someone other than the individuals to whom they are pledged. For the 7 presidential elections between 1992-2016, the Republican candidate has won the Electoral college 3 times. Because of the winner-take-all rule, a candidate can be elected president without winning the most popular votes nationwide. The United States does not have direct election of its president, yet most national, state and local offices are filled by the candidate with the most votes. That view of democracy recognizes the existence and desirability of organized interests and enshrines that principle under the concept of pluralism. Just another site cons of the national popular vote plan . Ken Bickers. After all, is said and done, the candidate who attains the largest number of votes can still lose. Currently, the National Popular Vote bill has 172 electoral votes. The Supreme Court has said in local and state elections voting should be based on the principle of one person one vote. Disadvantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. 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. Longley, Robert. 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. June 7, 2022 . 1. National Popular Vote Plan page 3 that non-member states that fail to hold such elections will not be included in the determination of 'the national popular vote winner.' This sidesteps the problem and provides an incentive for all states (non-members as well as members) to (continue to) hold such elections. It would require an Amendment in the U.S. for presidential elections. A popular vote election would bring the presidential election in line with the rest of the election structures. The one-vote approach does not align with the way the electoral votes operates. Louisiana voters should decide who receives Louisiana's electoral votes. Security would be improved across the country. 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. However, some critics argue that the advantages of a direct popular election including reflecting democratic principals, outweigh the disadvantages. Web. Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. It would be a national mandate to put someone in office, even if that winning candidate received less than 50% of the vote. The electoral requires that an election which does not receive a majority of electoral votes be taken into the U.S. House of Representatives. Colorado is on the verge of joining a nationwide movement that could eventually change how we choose the next president of the United States. Lastly, the biggest problem that the Electoral College produces is the reality that a persons vote really doesnt matter (Black). 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). 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 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 alternative view of democracy is more complex; it is one that includes but is not limited to the pursuit of equality. 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. 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. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. After the process, the President of the Senate reveals who has officially been voted in as President and Vice President of the United States. A Critique of the National Popular Vote October 13, 2008 Policy Analysis No. N.p., n.d. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Many Americans are confused about how a win is obtained under these conditions and are on a quest to change this traditional statute. Proportional Plan 4. In Maine, both houses of the legislature passed the bill in 2019, but it failed at the final enactment step. The candidate who placed second in the popular vote was elected in 2016, 2000, 1888, 1876, and 1824. And unlike direct elections, either would provide an incentive for grass-roots activity, coalition building and enhanced citizen participation. [Add switching votes of losing party to the other partys voter totals in every state using the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system (except for 5 EC votes in Maine and Nebraska that are awarded proportionally instead of by Winner-Take-All.]. (LogOut/ And that would undermine the legitimacy of the NPV among those people. The discussion around using the popular vote for elections has increased since the results of the 2016 election. To date, the bill has passed at least one legislative chamber in 9 states possessing 82 combined electoral votes: AR, AZ, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, OK, and OR. That would increase the amount of polarization being experienced in politics today because there would be less of a need to compromise. Although moving to a popular vote election would balance the weight of each vote, it would also create more sway in larger population states. Would you like to get a custom essay? The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. Currently, candidates focus more on swing and battleground states to help them gain those electoral votes. Instead of a direct popular election, the United States has the Electoral College, a group of electors who represent each state's votes. To take effect, the National Popular Vote bill must be enacted by the state legislatures of states controlling a total of 270 electoral votes - a majority of the overall 538 electoral votes and the number currently required to elect a president. The Constitution specifically leaves details like how the electoral votes are cast up to the states. By adding this new interstate compact to the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect our president we are in fact making this system even more complicated and even harder for the voters to understand. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. You can use essay samples to find ideas and inspiration for your paper. 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. 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. Or the opposite could be true. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Should that happen, then the final decision of who gets to serve as President of the United States is taken away from individual voters. http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. In 6 Elections, 2 Near-Misses (2020, 2004) and 2 Second-Place Presidents (2016, 2000) National Popular Vote Has Been Enacted into Law in 16 Jurisdictions with 195 Electoral Votes. The Electoral College system, however imperfect, serves this broader view of democracy. How Many Electoral Votes Does a Candidate Need to Win? Either would provide a reason for both parties to compete in most states because there would be electors to win. The Congressional District method would allocate electoral votes based on the winner of each congressional district. But the biggest problem with changing how we elect our president using the NPV Compact is that its too easy to change it back. Here are the essential pros and cons of popular vote elections to examine. Battleground states would disappear in U.S. elections. 2015. In the 2016 election, only 58 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. National Popular Vote is a constitutional and practical way to implement nationwide popular election of the President a goal traditionally supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. Nevada passed the legislation in 2019, but Gov. Since 2008, 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), which is an multi-state agreement to commit electors to. Probably the NPV Compact would be enacted into law with as little as a simple majority of the states and possibly even less. 5. For under its plan, the next time the U.S. has very close national vote, a recount would not be of six million votes in one state but of more than 130 million votes in all states and the District of Columbia, all with their own rules for conducting a recount. When you cast your ballot, you're not actually voting directly for your favored presidential candidate. 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. But in practice it could happen every 10 or 20 years when the Electoral College votes change because the congressional boundaries change with the new population census. Wyoming had just 3 electoral votes, but only had 255,000 voters as well. Part of HuffPost Politics. The National Popular Vote initiative transpired in 2006. Candidates feel they either cant win or lose with the votes from these states. Longley, Robert. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. Thats how politics works in America. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. In states with large population centers, individual voters have less power than voters in smaller states. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators NPV is more than a third of the way to its goal. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. 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. But sometime in the future the popular vote will change back and lean Republican. It has also happened four times out of the 56 presidential elections. The time to stop its momentum is now. Bush and Al Gore (Black). Advantage: Encourages Voter Turnout What would happen during a switch to the popular vote would be unknown. It is not even a liberal or conservative bill. State Question 820 lays out a statutory framework for a recreational industry that would begin about 90 days after election results are certified. Because every vote is equal inside Ohio or Florida, presidential candidates avidly seek out voters in small, medium, and large towns. 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. Though the original, some would say highly undemocratic, purpose. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the . 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 second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). 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. Definition and Examples, How Political Party Convention Delegates are Chosen, What Is a Caucus? The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. Privacy Policy. 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. 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. 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. 9. Hence, the National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact a type of state law authorized by the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into a legally enforceable, contractual obligation to undertake agreed joint actions, which may be delayed in implementation until a requisite number of states join in. The itineraries of presidential candidates in battleground states (and their allocation of other campaign resources) demonstrate what every gubernatorial or senatorial candidate in every state already knows namely that when every vote matters, the campaign must be run in every part of the state. Watch out! That would give the Compact states only 3 days( and two of those days were weekend days) to certify their state votes. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact 1. A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. Here is the entire text of the proposed "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote." Tweet Email this More on The Electoral College: Honorable Steve Cohen The plan would not get rid of the Electoral College. Even though we will be able to elect the president by national popular vote using the The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, eventually the rules for how we elect the president should be an official part of the Constitution. The advantage of this system is that it preserves the preferences of. It knows that a majoritarianism that produces a plurality is not the voice of a majority of the citizenry. 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. On a close popular vote, often defined as a difference of 0.5% or less in the tabulated results, an automatic recount would likely be triggered. Now, the states are considering the National Popular Vote plan, a system that, while not doing away with the Electoral College system, would modify it to ensure that the candidate winning the national popular vote is ultimately elected president. If the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact becomes law it would be an excellent first step to help get a future amendment to the Constitution to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect the president with a national popular vote using Ranked Choice Voting. In theory we could change how we elect our president every four years. The NPV movement seeks to create an unfair and unconstitutional system that diminishes the voting rights of citizens throughout the country and raises the prospect of increased voter fraud and. But don't forget, Bush won the popular vote four years later by three million votes. However, this also means that regions with a quite low population density will almost have no influence on the election outcome at all since they only have far too few votes to make a real difference. In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. Under the plan, Michigan's 15 Electoral . (LogOut/ If you need to flag this entry as abusive. A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. 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.
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