National Popular Vote Interstate Compact - Wikipedia Under the current structure of the electoral college, the focus of a presidential campaign is on the so-called battleground states. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. 18 Pros and Cons of Popular Vote - Vittana.org 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 Supreme Court has said in local and state elections voting should be based on the principle of one person one vote. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. Is It Time to Implement a National Popular Vote in Presidential However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. . In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. In the 2016 election, only 58 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. The National Popular Vote plan would eliminate what critics of the Electoral College system point to as the "winner-take-all" rule - the awarding all of a state's electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in that state. 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. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. When the Constitution was set in place in 1789, the U.S. elected its first president. NPV is more than a third of the way to its goal. A simple change in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could fix the flaw and still provide the benefits of a popular election. The Electoral College was established in the Constitution to protect minority interests and mitigate the possibility of a regional candidate. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. Majority supports changing Electoral College system for U.S Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. The National Popular Vote, Explained | Brennan Center for Justice Longley, Robert. In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, What Is Statutory Law? Electoral College pros and cons: is popular vote better? - netivist 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. The discussion around using the popular vote for elections has increased since the results of the 2016 election. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. America is known to have the costliest, prolonged, and complicated structure when electing a head of state. A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. 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. This blog post is a joint effort with Leslie Francis, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. The years-old effort is slowly making its way through state legislatures in hopes of changing the way The winner would receive one vote per congressional district won with the winner of the state popular vote gaining a two electoral votes. Pros & Cons of Selecting Government Officials by Direct Election How Many Electoral Votes Does a Candidate Need to Win? http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. PDF Problems With the National Popular Vote Plan 12th Amendment: Fixing the Electoral College, What Is Majoritarianism? Candidates get one vote for every congressional district they win, and then two votes for winning the state-wide vote. The bill has passed one chamber in 12 additional states with 96 electoral votes. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. 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. 2. The compact is designed to ensure that the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide is elected president, and it . There are a number of pros for this method. After all, the Electoral College makes it possible that a candidate who wins the majority of the votes could still lose the election. The Case Against the Popular Vote | The New Republic 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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. Steve Sisolak vetoed it. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. What Is the National Bonus Plan? - Reference.com - What's Your Question? Currently, 48 of the 50 states follow the winner-take-all rule. If a popular vote were allowed to declare a winner instead, it wouldnt be through a state-by-state counting of electoral votes. 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. But sometime in the future the popular vote will change back and lean Republican. Our experts will write for you an essay on any topic, with any deadline and requirements from scratch, Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons. The states' approval of the compact is a victory for democracy and the principle of "one person, one vote." The electoral college encourages a two-party system and rewards candidates who have broad appeal. There are alternatives to winner-take-all that do not involve abandoning the positive aspects of the Electoral College. Activating the National Popular Vote compact would reshape our . 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. 4. F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were elected with less than a majority of the votes cast. Is there a conservative case for National Popular Vote? 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. (2021, Jun 14). A plan to enact the National Popular Vote was introduced in the Michigan Legislature on Wednesday. 2. 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 . "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047 (accessed March 4, 2023). That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. cons of the national popular vote plan. That nightmare may seem like a pleasant dream if NPV has its way. This has occurred in 5 of the nation's 56 presidential elections, most recently in 2016. Popular vote better than Electoral College, Stanford scholars say 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. 2015. As of July 2020, a National Popular Vote bill has been signed into law in 16 states controlling a total of 196 electoral votes, including 4 small states, 8 medium-sized states, 3 big states (California, Illinois, and New York), and the District of Columbia. Instead, it modifies the winner-take-all rule in a way its supporters say would assure that every vote will matter in every state in every presidential election. National Popular Vote - Pros and Cons "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. 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. (LogOut/ National Popular Vote: Circumventing the United States Constitution It gives more voting power to individual voters in smaller 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. 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. 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. Research & Policy - National Conference of State Legislatures 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. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. Here are the essential pros and cons of popular vote elections to examine. If a party knows either that it can't win a single elector in a state or has an easy road to winning all of them, it sends its resources to where it has a competitive chance.. All samples were added by students. In U.S. history, there has been one vice-presidential candidate who died after being nominated and one that withdrew from their partys ticket. cons of the national popular vote plan Pros and cons of district elections | Columnists | smdailyjournal.com This brings us to 196 of the 270 (73%) electoral votes needed to activate the pact just 74 votes away. There would be a reduced need to build coalitions. That effectively means that votes in the the 75% of the country that are in swing states effectively dont count at all. Donald Trump won the presidential election by securing 304 electoral votes, compared to Hillary Clintons 227 electoral votes. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. Imperfect, because its modern-day blessings -- enhancing coalition building, pluralism, federalism and grass-roots participation -- are enjoyed only by a minority of states (in any given presidential election 18 or 20), where the battle for electoral votes is competitive for both major parties. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. The Electoral College - Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. Either would likely produce an electoral vote count closer to the popular vote. A Critique of the National Popular Vote | Cato Institute The principal flaw in the plan is its assumption that under the plan there will still be only two major parties competing for the presidency in 2020. . But with the NPV Compact a change in party control of just one or two states could restore the old system of electing the president and then four years later it could be changed back. 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 country could become less stable and divided if he or she did not have a vast amount of support (Richards). cons of the national popular vote plan Under the current structure of presidential elections in the U.S., the states become a battleground of red states vs. blue states. "The National Popular Vote Plan." Bush and Al Gore (Black). Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. PBS: What does voter turnout tell us about the 2016 election. national popular vote plan pros and cons - shipoom.com 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. Rural voters would almost always be in the minority. And in all states but Maine and Nebraska, the candidate who receives the most votes in that state is awarded all of its electoral votes, whether the split is 51% to 49% or 99% to 1%. The pros and cons of the popular vote structure of an election allow for the majority to have their say in who they wish to serve. 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. Definition and Examples, Learn How Many Total Electoral Votes There Are. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. 3. It would limit the influence of local issues in the election. It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes, and will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more. Electing a president who did not have broad regional support could lead to a fractured and less cohesive country, according to the Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. In the U.S., that means people who lean Democratic live in urban areas, while people who lean Republican live in rural areas. 3. mike matarazzo last photo. and our First it would be relatively easy to implement. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. National Popular Vote will create a single member district (all 50 states and D.C.), where the candidate with the most votes wins and . 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 National Popular Vote proposal is doomed if even only - LSE Blogs Con:not Eliminate possibility that loser of the popular vote can still win the electoral vote The Proportional Plan A proposed reform where each presidential candidate would receive the percent of electoral votes that they win from each state Proportional Plan Pro:Possible for loser of popular vote to win presidency. According to Article II, Section 1, "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress." In the early 19th century, many states ratified an approach that would allow the candidate with the most votes in that state to be the winner. That, in turn, would likely diminish voter turnout. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. 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." The states would implement this plan once enough states controlling 270 electoral votes have signed on, guaranteeing that the national popular vote winner will win the presidency.. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had more than 10 million of these votes, while Donald Trump had more than 8.3 million, even though Trump won 30 states and Clinton won 20 and the District of Columbia. This National Popular Vote Compact wouldn't take effect until states with 270 electors a majority joined in. Thats how politics works in America. In fact, let's tally up all the votes cast for president between 1932 and 2008. This brings us to 196 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the pact. Or the opposite could be true. 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. The time to stop its momentum is now. Retrieved from https://samploon.com/electoral-college-and-national-popular-vote-pros-and-cons/, Should the Electoral College Be Abolished, Pros for The Electoral College in the United States, Electoral College is Undemocratic but We Have no Better System, The Electoral College Should Be Terminated, The Electoral College Annotated Bibliography. cons of the national popular vote plan - alshamifortrading.com 8. During a popular vote, a candidate who withdraws from the race or dies before the election can be held could still be on the ballot. However, in the popular vote, Trump only received 62,984,825 votes against Hillary Clinton's 65,853,516 popular votes. That would increase the amount of polarization being experienced in politics today because there would be less of a need to compromise. The selection of presidential electors is specifically entrusted to the states by the Constitution. Rebekah Richards is a professional writer with work published in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "Brandeis University Law Journal" and online at tolerance.org.
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