NC Senate joins move to dump Electoral College
Ever since it was created, the Electoral College has had its detractors. But this year is the first time in a while that there is an organized movement to eliminate or bypass it.
The National Popular Vote website spells out the rationale for change:
But states have no obligation to go along with the Electoral College system; as the National Popular Vote notes, the Supreme Court has stated that "the appointment, and mode of appointment, of electors belong exclusively to the states." And if states that represent a majority of the current 538 Electoral College votes form a compact to do away with the system, they can move the country to direct popular vote for President and Vice President.
This week, North Carolina Senate became the latest state chamber to endorse a direct popular vote, as the Charlotte Observer reports:
The National Popular Vote website spells out the rationale for change:
Under the winner-take-all rule, candidates have no reason to poll, visit, advertise, organize, campaign, or worry about the concerns of voters of states that they cannot possibly win or lose. A major shortcoming of the current system of electing the President is that voters in two thirds of the states are effectively disenfranchised in presidential elections because candidates concentrate their attention on a handful of “battleground” states. Candidates concentrate over two-thirds of their advertising money and campaign visits in just five states; over 80% in just nine states; and over 99% of their advertising money in just 16 states. The number of battleground states has been shrinking for many decades. The spectator states in presidential elections include 12 of the 13 least populous states (all but New Hampshire); 7 of the nation’s 11 most populous states (California, Texas, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Georgia).That, and the fact that in four presidential races (1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000), the candidate who won the most votes didn't get into office.
But states have no obligation to go along with the Electoral College system; as the National Popular Vote notes, the Supreme Court has stated that "the appointment, and mode of appointment, of electors belong exclusively to the states." And if states that represent a majority of the current 538 Electoral College votes form a compact to do away with the system, they can move the country to direct popular vote for President and Vice President.
This week, North Carolina Senate became the latest state chamber to endorse a direct popular vote, as the Charlotte Observer reports:
North Carolina would enter a compact that could eliminate the power of the Electoral College system to choose a president, according to a bill that passed the Senate Monday night.Nationwide, 41 bills have been introduced. In Maryland, it's been signed by the governor, and both of Hawaii's legislative chambers have passed the hill. North Carolina is now one of five states where it's passed at least one house, the others being Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, and most recently California.If agreed to by states representing a majority of the nation's 538 electoral votes, the measure would require North Carolina to give its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote nationwide.
Labels: election reform
4 Comments:
Either this format or one where the electoral vote must be split according to the popular vote would do very well.
The current system is an abomination.
good news!
good news!
finally - some good news :-)
thank you
hurray!
This is a great victory for massive electoral fraud!!!!
This is awesome. Now a few million dead voters like me can directly control the presidential outcome, instead of only the electoral votes for my state.
Dead voters aren't making much headway in Chicago ,but live ones do, and they -- along with everyone in about 70% of our states -- want to have a chance to cast an equal vote for president. About time!
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