Should the electoral college be abolished in favor of a popular vote system by the states and the District of Columbia?
Bill Summary
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the President and Vice President to be elected directly by the people of the states and the District of Columbia. Sponsor: Rep. Steve Cohen (Democrat, Tennessee, District 9)
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Opponents say
• "The desire to abolish the Electoral College is driven by the idea Democrats want rural America to go away politically."
Source: Sen. Lindsey Graham (Republican, South Carolina)
• "[The Electoral College is a] work of genius that requires candidates for president to earn votes from various parts of the country. And it makes sure interests of less populated areas aren’t ignored at the expense of densely populated areas." Source: Senator Marco Rubio (Republican, Florida)
• "The idea that a national popular vote would lead to clearer and more representative results ignores the nature of our constitutional republic and fails to contemplate the challenges that a truly national election in our vast country would involve. If anything, the Electoral College was designed to act as a brake on over-mighty presidents, who might use a popular majority to claim that they were authorized to speak for the people against Congress. And from that, we may well have a lot more to fear than from the Electoral College." Source: Allen Guelzo (National Affairs)
• "The Framers of our Constitution invented a system that would establish a democracy while protecting minority rights. They created the Electoral College to protect the residents of the smaller states, and they rejected government by simple majority because plebiscites historically have been the tool of dictatorships, not democracy." Source: Ronald D. Rotunda (CATO Institute)
• "[The Electoral College is a] work of genius that requires candidates for president to earn votes from various parts of the country. And it makes sure interests of less populated areas aren’t ignored at the expense of densely populated areas." Source: Senator Marco Rubio (Republican, Florida)
• "The idea that a national popular vote would lead to clearer and more representative results ignores the nature of our constitutional republic and fails to contemplate the challenges that a truly national election in our vast country would involve. If anything, the Electoral College was designed to act as a brake on over-mighty presidents, who might use a popular majority to claim that they were authorized to speak for the people against Congress. And from that, we may well have a lot more to fear than from the Electoral College." Source: Allen Guelzo (National Affairs)
• "The Framers of our Constitution invented a system that would establish a democracy while protecting minority rights. They created the Electoral College to protect the residents of the smaller states, and they rejected government by simple majority because plebiscites historically have been the tool of dictatorships, not democracy." Source: Ronald D. Rotunda (CATO Institute)
Proponents say
• "The Electoral College is a vestige of the 18th Century when voters didn’t know the candidates who now appear daily on their phones and television screens. Last week’s mayhem at the Capitol shows that attempts to manipulate the Electoral College vote by politicians employing falsehoods are a real danger. The President should always be elected by the people, not by politicians. Currently, the system allows politicians to make the ultimate decision. It is well past time to do away with this anachronistic institution and guarantee a fair and accurate vote for President."
Source: Rep. Steve Cohen (Democrat, Tennessee, District 9)
• "In an election, the person who gets the most votes should win. It’s that simple. No one’s vote should count for more based on where they live. The Electoral College is outdated and it’s undemocratic. It’s time to end it." Source: Senator Brain Schatz (Democrat, Hawaii)
• "Every voter should be counted the same, regardless of where he or she lives. There is no need to worry about the excesses of majority rule. Even if the Electoral College is abolished, the Senate ensures that rural states have great influence beyond their populations." Source: Dan Glickman (Aspen Institute)
• "The [Electoral College] system treats votes unequally, giving them more or less weight based on where voters live. It encourages campaigns to focus their efforts on a handful of swing states and encourages presidential candidates to skew public policy to benefit them. And as it has five times, the Electoral College can enable the candidate who loses the popular vote to win the presidency. In these consequential ways, the Electoral College system undermines our core democratic values." Source: Brennan Center for Justice
• "In an election, the person who gets the most votes should win. It’s that simple. No one’s vote should count for more based on where they live. The Electoral College is outdated and it’s undemocratic. It’s time to end it." Source: Senator Brain Schatz (Democrat, Hawaii)
• "Every voter should be counted the same, regardless of where he or she lives. There is no need to worry about the excesses of majority rule. Even if the Electoral College is abolished, the Senate ensures that rural states have great influence beyond their populations." Source: Dan Glickman (Aspen Institute)
• "The [Electoral College] system treats votes unequally, giving them more or less weight based on where voters live. It encourages campaigns to focus their efforts on a handful of swing states and encourages presidential candidates to skew public policy to benefit them. And as it has five times, the Electoral College can enable the candidate who loses the popular vote to win the presidency. In these consequential ways, the Electoral College system undermines our core democratic values." Source: Brennan Center for Justice
- Congressman Cohen Introduces Resolution to Abolish the Electoral College (Press Release)
- Schatz, Durbin, Feinstein, Gillibrand Introduce Constitutional Amendment to End Undemocratic Electoral College (Press Release)
- Poll: 51 Percent of Voters Want to Abolish the Electoral College (The Hill)
- In Defense of the Electoral College (National Affairs)
- Abolishing the Electoral College Would be More Complicated Than it May Seem (NPR)
