The Supreme Court has said in local and state elections voting should be based on the principle of one person one vote. 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 plan is a bill passed by participating state legislatures agreeing that they will cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote. Would it aid a fight to eliminate first past the post or would it further entrench the established party system voters American voters have expressed disdain for. Over the long run the countrys popular vote in presidential elections has roughly been equally split between Republican and Democratic.*. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some . If the National Popular Vote bill was secured within the American government, it would protect every vote and would allow those votes to equally matter in the presidential election. 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. This divide creates natural divisions between groups of people who both support their country, but in different ways. every decade states are redistricted could be redrawn to capture house seats and corrupt the Presidential election what connection type is known as "always on"? Only Nebraska and Maine do not. Under the current structure of the electoral college, the focus of a presidential campaign is on the so-called battleground states. Under the system of proportional representation, any party with a high enough percentage of the vote will receive a seat in the government. Inside Ohio or Florida, to pick two examples, the big cities do not receive all the attention, and they certainly do not control the outcome. It was a great idea in 1787 but the country has changed since 1787 and the people today want to elect the president by a simple, direct popular vote where whoever gets the most votes wins like we do in every other election in the country. The National Popular Vote plan is a bill passed by participating state legislatures agreeing that they will cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote. Samploon is a database of free essay samples. Most recently, the bill was passed by a bipartisan 4016 vote in the Republican-controlled Arizona House, 2818 in Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate, 574 in Republican-controlled New York Senate, and 3721 in Democratic-controlled Oregon House." There are a number of pros for this method. In Maine, both houses of the legislature passed the bill in 2019, but it failed at the final enactment step. 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. cons of the national popular vote plan. This brings us to 196 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the pact. With the polarization in global politics today, especially in the United States, a switch to the popular vote would likely increase costs even further. NPV is more than a third of the way to its goal. 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 The time to stop its momentum is now. 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. The National Popular Vote effort, explained The National Popular Vote effort is now halfway to its goal of electing future presidents via the popular vote, after Rhode Island Gov. The electoral requires that an election which does not receive a majority of electoral votes be taken into the U.S. House of Representatives. More people live in urban regions, which means they would have a constant sway over the election. Make a contribution to support Common Cause today. A plan to enact the National Popular Vote was introduced in the Michigan Legislature on Wednesday. The Electoral College system - the way we really elect our president - has always had its detractors and lost even more public support after the 2016 election, when it became apparent that President-ElectDonald Trump might have lost the nationwide popular vote to Sec. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. It would eliminate superfluous votes. 1. The Electoral College system, however imperfect, serves this broader view of democracy. This National Popular Vote Compact wouldn't take effect until states with 270 electors a majority joined in. That's almost 1.5 billion . In theory that could happen every four years. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Today, many electors are bound to vote according to their states' popular vote results, and those who aren't almost always do. N.p., n.d. 5. For the popular vote, however, Hillary Clinton received 65.8 million votes, while Donald Trump received 62.9 million votes. The popular vote eliminates this issue too. It would eliminate the threat of a faithless elector. If the election is based off a popular vote, each of these areas would need to be closely examined in real-time, which would enhance the security of each vote that is cast. 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. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. Under the plan, Michigan's 15 Electoral . Or the opposite could be true. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. Start and finish your paper with ease. 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. 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. The winner would receive one vote per congressional district won with the winner of the state popular vote gaining a two electoral votes. Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047 (accessed March 4, 2023). 4. After the process, the President of the Senate reveals who has officially been voted in as President and Vice President of the United States. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. At the moment, 98 more electoral votes are needed to pass this bill in all 50 states (National Conference of State Legislators). amazon web services address herndon va custom airbrush spray tan near me custom airbrush spray tan near me Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. 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. 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. June 7, 2022 . A candidate can win the popular vote in enough states to win a majority of electoral votes but still lose the popular vote nationally. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. That principle should be expanded to presidential elections. Web. It would limit the influence of local issues in the election. How about receiving a customized one? Is this a solution to first past the post or is it merely reinforcing our current two party system? According to the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School, some proponents of the Electoral College argue that it isolates election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout. And finally, the Electoral College doesnt work today anywhere near how the Founding Fathers intended it to work when they created it back in 1787. Due to some states being heavily populated in comparison to others, that may help a candidate quickly obtain a win. Here are the Cons of the Electoral College 1. Once enacted, the participating states would cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote, thus ensuring that candidate the required 270 electoral votes. http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. Many people may feel that any major change in how we elect the president should be in the Constitution and not in a legal loop hole even if its legal and technically constitutional. Proponents of the National Popular Vote fail to understand the most basic facts about the American presidential electoral system. The last amendment, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, was ratified nearly 200 years after it was originally proposed. If some of the 50 states and DC cannot certify their popular votes by the December deadline that could create a constitutional crisis where we would not have all of the state Electoral College votes certified by the time the Electoral College is required to vote according to the Constitution. 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. It is also true that no president since 1824 has received the votes of a majority of the eligible voters and 18 presidents, including Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, John. Past Event: The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties has announced plans to broadcast a webinar discussing the National Popular Vote (NPV) on Monday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. National Popular Vote has been leading the campaign to fix the electoral college and elect the president by national popular vote since its founding in 2006 . This brings us to 196 of the 270 (73%) electoral votes needed to activate the pact just 74 votes away. Then, election officials in all participating states would choose the electors sworn to support thepresidential candidate who received the largest number of popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Over the years, the National Popular Vote bill has been introduced in the legislatures of all 50 states. (2021, Jun 14). 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. In 2004, for example, candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry campaigned heavily in states such as Nevada while ignoring political issues in New York, a state that Kerry was sure to win, according to the University of the Pacific. 1. An electoral college would solve . Second, some believe itll intensify election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout (Richards). Disadvantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. Cookie Notice NCSL conducts policy research in areas ranging from agriculture and budget and tax issues to education and health care to immigration and transportation. Lincoln Chafee (D) made his state the latest to sign on. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. But if we set politics aside and focus on what is really best for democracy in our country in the long run I believe that the advantages of using the NPV compact to elect our president outweigh the disadvantages and the best way to elect our president in the 21st century is by direct popular vote using Ranked Choice Voting. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. Either would likely produce an electoral vote count closer to the popular vote. 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 don't forget, Bush won the popular vote four years later by three million votes. At that stage, anyone who received an electoral vote is eligible to become the next president. Today, the fact that Nebraska and Maine do not use the winner-take-all system serves as proof that modifying the Electoral College system, as proposed by the National Popular Vote plan is constitutional and does not require a constitutional amendment. mike matarazzo last photo. A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. Richards earned a master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University. Under the electoral college system of voting, the number of representatives a state has in Congress (Senators and Representatives) is the total number of electoral votes it is allowed. This is a situation that has caused controversy in the election years of of 1800, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 when the elected president won the Electoral College and the presidency but did not win the popular vote. The horror of a potential national recount is only one of the dangers direct presidential elections poses. Yet, by May 2021, 15 states and Washington, D.C., had signed onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. 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. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. Many cities and school districts, under threat of a lawsuit by a Malibu attorney, have already adopted or are in the process of changing to district elections rather than remaining citywide or . Because of the winner-take-all rule, a candidate can be elected president without winning the most popular votes nationwide. As of now, 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Delaware and Oregon. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Activating the National Popular Vote compact would reshape our . 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 alternative view of democracy is more complex; it is one that includes but is not limited to the pursuit of equality. Actually the NPV Compact doesnt change one word in he Constitution and in fact only changes state laws. 6. That means every state is allowed a minimum of 3 electoral votes. 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 It fails to reach the ideal of one-person one-vote. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. 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. 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. The bill has crossed paths with 36 legislative chambers and has been sponsored or voted for by 3,112 state legislators (National Popular Vote). You can use essay samples to find ideas and inspiration for your paper. 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. sale of united methodist church property. We have seen this outcome in the 2016 Presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and in the 2000 election between George H.W. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact 1. But the biggest problem with changing how we elect our president using the NPV Compact is that its too easy to change it back. Advantage: Encourages Voter Turnout 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. Though the original, some would say highly undemocratic, purpose. 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. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. 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. And that would undermine the legitimacy of the NPV among those people. 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 . The one-vote approach does not align with the way the electoral votes operates. 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. Explains kimberling, william c., and dave leip's . The National Popular Vote Bill is not a Democrat or Republican bill. It seeks to be a bulwark against mass hysteria and the hysteria created by mass media. The National Popular Vote initiative transpired in 2006. There are pros and cons to both systems. Would you like to get a custom essay? They have only won the popular vote once. 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). There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an election. 12th Amendment: Fixing the Electoral College, What Is Majoritarianism? Every state is allocated several votes according to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. The National Popular Vote compact would have the same effect as a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College but has the benefit of retaining the power to control presidential elections in states hands. A candidate may not have to concentrate anymore, but they may have to move their attention to states such as Texas, New York, California, and Alaska. In contrast, in a direct popular election, each vote matters equally. 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 . Dont know what Ranked Choice Voting is? And thats not how it should be in a democracy. Regional candidates could secure enough votes to win a national election. Unless the national popular vote was very close, or there were all lot of recounts outstanding, the Compact states in most cases would effectively know what the outcome would be and could be prepared to certify their state votes very quickly to make the Electoral College meeting date deadline. How the National Popular Vote Plan Would Work. 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. The Electoral College was established in the Constitution to protect minority interests and mitigate the possibility of a regional candidate. Nevada passed the legislation in 2019, but Gov. One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. With a popular vote in place, each election win would be decreed a mandate to follow the platform of the winning party.