Eliminating the Electoral College

The Electoral College is the system used to elect the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. The system was designed and accepted in 1787 to give smaller states more of a vote as there was a fear that the larger states would be the only ones deciding who was elected President and Vice President. Instead of counting each individual’s vote and putting those numbers towards Presidential candidates it gives the state a certain number of votes based on the majority of the population. A recent question that has been raised is, should we continue to use the electoral college? The electoral college is no longer necessary and there are better ways to calculate votes for the President and Vice President of the United States.

A large flaw in the Electoral college would be the Electors. In all states except Maine and Nebraska most electors are pledged to a particular candidate ensuring that when they cast their vote it will be for their pledged candidate. The system they use is based on who has the most votes, however in Maine and Nebraska the electors do not have to follow the majority of votes. The electors in those two states can choose an candidate they wish to vote for. This is unfair because the people who have casted their votes can be betrayed from their party’s elector. It also can create a situation where bribery can occur. The electors could be bribed switching their vote and not voting based on what is reflective of the people of the state they represent.

When the system was first put into place it was needed because it was very easy for bigger states to rig elections. In our modern world now people have access to computers, cell-phones, tablets, and other electronic devices. There could be a system in which all a person has to do is go online and cast their vote. Obviously there would need to be some form of identification, whether it be entering your social security number or a pin assigned to the voter. The times have changed since the Electoral College was first put into place it is time for a new system.

Systems that have proven to work in democratic societies include STV voting (Single Transferable Vote), The Majority Election System, and the Proportional Representation System. These processes help ensure that everyones individual vote matters by counting it correctly. The people are choosing to elector their President and Vice President not electors. By adopting a new system it could completely transform the political world as we know it today.

The Electoral College is no longer a fitting system for the United States. Like everything, it has a lifespan, and its time is nearing the end. The people of the United States should be electing their President and Vice President, not electors. If the American society is considered democratic than it should have a voting system that reflects that by making sure everyone’s votes matter.