The Electoral College Will Elect the President, Not You and I!

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The President has 301 electoral votes to Senator Kerry’s 237. (I’m still calling him “The President” despite his nasty temper tantrum in Friday night’s debate. Did you see that America?!?) Unfortunately, if the presidential election were held tomorrow, the day after Columbus Day, The President would win a second term in office, even if he lost the popular vote. We would have a two term president who was elected by the Supreme Court for his first term, and by the Electoral College for his second, neither term by the popular vote of the people of the United States!

I think its time to begin a national debate about The Electoral College. It’s a process that is tied to the constitution, and it exists because of a debate among the founders of our nation as to whether or not the president should be elected by popular vote, or by Congress. As such, it represents a 228 year old compromise to level the playing field between these two positions. In some states electors don’t even have to vote according to popular vote in their state! The constitution is supposed to protect our rights, so what is wrong with this picture?

I have many more questions. Are there any advantages to having the Electoral College? What might these be? How are electors chosen? Does the college provide any kind of practical checks against anything other than the popular vote that you and I have the greatest stake in? Finally, should we keep it or not?

1. For more information on the Electoral College, go to NARA/Federal Register/Electoral College.
2. For arguments to keep the Electoral College, go to Amend the Electoral College, Don’t End it! at The University of Washington Student Newspaper website.
3. For arguments opposed to the Electoral College, go to The Electoral College, Source of Inequality at Geocities.com.

*I got this image from “Abolish the Electoral College,” at “http://20dissidents.com/” visited, Sunday, October 10, 2004, 11:41 AM EDT.


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