History of Electoral College
The current election method appoints a fixed number of electors from each state based on the size of the state’s population. The Electoral College was established in 1787 by the writers of the United States Constitution as a compromise between proponents of the popular vote and others who felt that the president should be chosen by Congress (Kapoor, 2022).
The Electoral College was created to ensure that minor states’ voices were heard equally with those of central states. Many historians believe that this system is a vestige of slavery, which existed in the United States until 1865 (Chisolm, 2021). Southern delegates thus counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person, ensuring that Southerners continued to dominate presidential elections at the time. I believe the Electoral College is a relic of the past that should be abolished and switched to the popular vote.
Flaws of Electoral College
Only five times in American history has a president been elected after losing the popular vote but earning a majority in the electoral college. However, in the recent 20 years, this has happened twice: in 2000, when George W. Bush Jr. defeated Al Gore, and in 2016, when Trump defeated Clinton (Bose, 2020). Clinton earned over 3 million more electoral votes than Trump, yet lost the electoral college to him (Bose, 2020). This system no longer serves its function, disregarding voter will and giving too much power to disputed states, ultimately determining election outcomes.
Alternative to Electoral College
As an alternative to this method, I recommend implementing popular voting. By voting in elections at various levels, each person not only expresses their civic opinion but also casts a vote in favor of a particular candidate. As a result, society will feel fairer, and individuals will believe their opinions matter.
People can be surveyed via the phone, questionnaires, or online (Greenberg & Page, 2018). A critical criterion is that the sample be representative of the entire population, ensuring that the results are equitable to all members of society (Greenberg & Page, 2018). In this approach, the United States will be able to build citizen confidence, improve government operations, and be seen by the public.
References
Bose, M. (2020). What Can Political Science Predict about the Unpredictable 2020 Presidential Race? Polls, Debates, and the Electoral College. Juniata Voices, 21, 56-66.
Chisolm, T. E. (2021). When Righteousness Fails: The New Incentive for Reparations for Slavery and Its Continuing Aftermath in the United States. University of Pennsylvania, Journal of Law and Social Change, 24, 195.
Greenberg, E. S., & Page, B. I. (2018). The Struggle for Democracy, 2018 Elections and Updates Edition (12th ed.). Pearson Education (US). Web.
Kapoor, N. (2022). Bent, But Not Broken: The Constitutional, Legal, and Procedural Issues in the 2020 Electoral College Vote Certification. eJournal of Public Affairs, 11(1), 9. Web.