Level 7
Why the US Should Abolish the Electoral College ( Excerpt )
… Voting conditions have progressed in terms of communication and technology . When the Constitution was written , the typical voter had few opportunities to learn about presidential candidates , so the job of choosing the President was given to the Electoral College . Electors who were appointed by their states were better educated than average citizens who were not thought capable of making an informed choice . Today , with universal education , TV , radio , newspapers , and the Internet , voters can learn about candidates for themselves , and they should be trusted to choose their President . by Abdelmoughit El Jahidi
The Electoral College is unfair in several ways . First , it gives more weight to votes cast in small states . ( Each state ’ s electoral votes are equal to the number of members it has in the House and Senate combined .) Second , because the Electoral College is “ winner take all ” in all but two states ( Maine and Nebraska ), people who disagree with the majority in their state are not represented . Finally , the system allows the election of a President who does not have the support of a majority of voters . Without the Electoral College , candidates would campaign to get as many individual votes as possible in every state , instead of focusing on states that provide key electoral votes . Each vote would make a difference and voters would feel they truly had a stake in the elections , which could lead to increased voting across the country . With a system of direct election , all votes would be equally important and equally sought after . We need to abolish the Electoral College and make our presidential elections “ one person , one vote …”
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