cons of the national popular vote plan cons of the national popular vote plan

(2020, December 16). The bill has passed one chamber in 12 additional states with 96 electoral votes. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. All in all, the Electoral College causes many problems that seem unfair to American voters during such an important election. The country could become less stable and divided if he or she did not have a vast amount of support (Richards). I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. 1. This blog post is a joint effort with Leslie Francis, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. on WordPress.com. 9. It could encourage voter turnout. The alternative view of democracy is more complex; it is one that includes but is not limited to the pursuit of equality. 1. A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. It happened once, in 1876. Probably the NPV Compact would be enacted into law with as little as a simple majority of the states and possibly even less. The electoral requires that an election which does not receive a majority of electoral votes be taken into the U.S. House of Representatives. and our Under the electoral college system (and other voting systems not based on popular voting), it only takes one extra vote more than the other candidate to create the needed results for the election. The National Popular Vote plan is a bill passed by participating state legislatures agreeing that they will cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote. The United States has a representative democracy rather than a direct democracy: Citizens elect representatives rather than voting on each bill. On April 15, 2014 Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State quietly signed into law the National Popular Vote, making New York the 10th state -- along with the District of Columbia -- to support this effort, while also boosting the total numbers to 165 of the 270 electoral votes needed to make a true national popular vote a reality. 7. pros and cons." dave leip's atlas of u.s. presidential elections. 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 http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. 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. The first problem it creates is the opportunity for the loser of the popular vote to win the electoral vote. By adding this new interstate compact to the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect our president we are in fact making this system even more complicated and even harder for the voters to understand. On a close popular vote, often defined as a difference of 0.5% or less in the tabulated results, an automatic recount would likely be triggered. Part of HuffPost Politics. Under the plan, Michigan's 15 Electoral . To date, the bill has passed at least one legislative chamber in 9 states possessing 82 combined electoral votes: AR, AZ, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, OK, and OR. What would happen during a switch to the popular vote would be unknown. 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. Because its so hard to get an amendment to the Constitution passed that means that once it becomes law it will probably remain so for a long time because the bar to change it back is so high. The one-vote approach does not align with the way the electoral votes operates. Would you like to get a custom essay? Definition and Examples, Learn How Many Total Electoral Votes There Are. Unless the national popular vote was very close, or there were all lot of recounts outstanding, the Compact states in most cases would effectively know what the outcome would be and could be prepared to certify their state votes very quickly to make the Electoral College meeting date deadline. Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. This is a situation that has caused controversy in the election years of of 1800, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 when the elected president won the Electoral College and the presidency but did not win the popular vote. Hillary Clinton, but won the electoral vote to become the 45thPresident of the United States. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. The use of the Electoral College has been the only approach the U.S. has used to gain a President, but this way has generated numerous issues. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. Although faithless electors have not affected the results or outcome of an election yet, in 2016, there were 7 faithless electors. 1, 2023 at 1:16 PM PST. It would limit the influence of local issues in the election. The itineraries of presidential candidates in battleground states (and their allocation of other campaign resources) demonstrate what every gubernatorial or senatorial candidate in every state already knows namely that when every vote matters, the campaign must be run in every part of the state. The NPVIC is an agreement among states designed to guarantee election of the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. NPV is grounded in two powers delegated to states by the Constitution: the power to design rules for awarding their electoral votes and the power to enter into interstate Second, some believe itll intensify election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout (Richards). 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. A faithless elector in the United States is someone who casts an electoral ballot for someone other than the individuals to whom they are pledged. 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. 8. It would require an Amendment in the U.S. for presidential elections. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. It makes things easier for extreme parties to gain representation. Their answer is simple: one in which every citizen's vote is equal to every other citizen's vote and one in which the winner of the presidential popular vote, no matter how small his or her percentage is of those who voted, would be elected. The framers enacted the provisions relating to the Electoral College to allow for state innovation. Should that happen, then the final decision of who gets to serve as President of the United States is taken away from individual voters. Post author: Post published: June 29, 2022 Post category: Uncategorized Post comments: paris apartment eiffel tower view for sale paris apartment eiffel tower view for sale It is perhaps the most simplistic form of an election. Two-thirds of the campaign events were in four states, Florida, Iowa, Virginia, and Ohio, that year. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. As a result, the percentage of popular votes secured by Donald Trump was just 46.4% in comparison with Hilary Clinton, who secured 48.5% of the votes. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. Either would likely produce an electoral vote count closer to the popular vote. 2015. 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. It sees a healthy and vibrant democracy needing the underpinnings of civil society that rests on the sustained and active engagement of the citizenry and promotes approaches that seek to maximize that involvement. The National Popular Vote plan is a bill passed by participating state legislatures agreeing that they will cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote. 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%. Under the current structure of presidential elections in the U.S., the states become a battleground of red states vs. blue states. 6. The plan would not get rid of the Electoral College. As a result, an agreement between a group of states to cast all of their electoral votes in a similar manner, as proposed by the National Popular Vote plan passes constitutional muster. At that stage, anyone who received an electoral vote is eligible to become the next president. Without the popular vote bill, swing states would continue to get more leverage and attention from candidates to ensure that they would be able to capture their votes. 2. Only Nebraska and Maine do not. Yes. 6. Hence, the National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact a type of state law authorized by the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into a legally enforceable, contractual obligation to undertake agreed joint actions, which may be delayed in implementation until a requisite number of states join in. It would reduce the threshold necessary to win the office. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. It is not even a liberal or conservative bill. Security would be improved across the country. Join the thousands across the country who instantly rally when there is a threat to our democracy. 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." As of now, 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Delaware and Oregon. Note: Today we are in a phase where the popular vote in presidential elections leans Democratic. The winner would receive one vote per congressional district won with the winner of the state popular vote gaining a two electoral votes. Feb 25, 2023. Or states might explore what was recently proposed in Colorado -- that electors be allocated in proportion to each candidate's share of the popular vote above a certain threshold. Maryland and New Jersey passed this bill in 2007, Hawaii and Illinois in 2008, Washington in 2009, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia in 2010, California and Vermont in 2011, Rhode Island in 2013, New York in 2014 and Connecticut in 2018. 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. The horror of a potential national recount is only one of the dangers direct presidential elections poses. Some states, such as California and Hawaii, both had their bills vetoed by their governors before it was overridden and enacted by state legislators. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all their electoral votes to whichever presidential ticket wins the overall popular vote in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes, and will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more. 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.. National Popular Vote will create a single member district (all 50 states and D.C.), where the candidate with the most votes wins and . The Constitution specifically leaves details like how the electoral votes are cast up to the states. Lastly, it may cause a third-party candidate to prevail and win, which would allow Americans to be given more choices besides the two primary parties (Richards). Going to the popular vote would eliminate this issue altogether. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. The last amendment, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, was ratified nearly 200 years after it was originally proposed. First it would be relatively easy to implement. Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 For the popular vote, however, Hillary Clinton received 65.8 million votes, while Donald Trump received 62.9 million votes. In each instance the republic has survived, and democracy has prospered despite the challenges presented. evergreen funeral home live stream. I am confident that when we enter the next phase where the popular vote leans Republican that Republicans will change and be adamant that we should elect the president by direct popular vote and Democrats will be arguing why we should keep the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system. List of the Cons of Proportional Representation. 2. Even the minority party wouldnt be encouraged to negotiate because they could simply stall until the next election. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. 2. The years-old effort is slowly making its way through state legislatures in hopes of changing the way If the election is based off a popular vote, each of these areas would need to be closely examined in real-time, which would enhance the security of each vote that is cast. a plan for a national popular vote could undermine the . Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. In the 2016 election, only 58 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. 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. That means some voters, like Republicans in California or Democrats in Mississippi, are voting without power and without attention from their preferred candidates each year. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. This feature is critical to the passionate bipartisan support the compact receives. Thats the way it has been in this country for a long time. The Electoral College is very undemocratic and riddled with issues. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. Hence, the National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact a type of state law authorized by the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into a legally enforceable, contractual obligation to undertake agreed joint actions, which may be delayed in implementation until a requisite number of states join in. Analyzes how william c. kimberling, the deputy director of the federal election commission, is a credible author over the issue. A simple change in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could fix the flaw and still provide the benefits of a popular election. To take effect, the National Popular Vote bill must be enacted by the state legislatures of states controlling a total of 270 electoral votes - a majority of the overall 538 electoral votes and the number currently required to elect a president. Under the National Popular Vote plan,the compact would take effect only when enabling legislation has been enacted by states collectively possessing a majority of the electoral votes:270 of 538 total. That created a voter value of 2.85. Moving to the popular vote structure would eliminate this potential issue. However, many people believe that a direct popular election is more democratic and fair than the Electoral College. [Add switching votes of losing party to the other partys voter totals in every state using the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system (except for 5 EC votes in Maine and Nebraska that are awarded proportionally instead of by Winner-Take-All.]. But don't forget, Bush won the popular vote four years later by three million votes. Here is the entire text of the proposed "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote." Tweet Email this More on The Electoral College: Honorable Steve Cohen Where the National Popular Vote Plan Stands. Inside Ohio or Florida, to pick two examples, the big cities do not receive all the attention, and they certainly do not control the outcome. Is this a solution to first past the post or is it merely reinforcing our current two party system? 5. 12th Amendment: Fixing the Electoral College, What Is Majoritarianism? every decade states are redistricted could be redrawn to capture house seats and corrupt the Presidential election