Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. The principal flaw in the plan is its assumption that under the plan there will still be only two major parties competing for the presidency in 2020. . Explains kimberling, william c., and dave leip's . cons of the national popular vote plan. 48 Vitosha Boulevard, ground floor, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria, Samploon, Inc. 2022. every decade states are redistricted could be redrawn to capture house seats and corrupt the Presidential election A popular vote election takes all ballots that are cast, counts them, and declares the winner based on who received the most votes. tobin james the blend 2017 ; real estate marketing solutions; cons of the national popular vote plan; lassi kefalonia shops cons of the national popular vote plan document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The winner would receive one vote per congressional district won with the winner of the state popular vote gaining a two electoral votes. National Popular Vote - Pros and Cons "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. After all, is said and done, the candidate who attains the largest number of votes can still lose. Over the years, the National Popular Vote bill has been introduced in the legislatures of all 50 states. A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. Candidates feel these states need a little bit more of their attention and apply pressure to supply these states with solutions to their problems in order to gain their vote. Two-thirds of the campaign events were in four states, Florida, Iowa, Virginia, and Ohio, that year. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. 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%. Con:not Eliminate possibility that loser of the popular vote can still win the electoral vote The Proportional Plan A proposed reform where each presidential candidate would receive the percent of electoral votes that they win from each state Proportional Plan Pro:Possible for loser of popular vote to win presidency. Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. A direct popular election would make it more possible for third-party candidates to succeed and would also encourage political parties to become more radical and extreme. Each states electoral votes are tallied by Congress in the House chamber by House and Senate representatives on the 6th day of January following the Presidential election. America is known to have the costliest, prolonged, and complicated structure when electing a head of state. The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. and our 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). The senators in the U.S. Senate make up two votes in addition to the votes that represent the number of its members in the U.S. House of Representatives (Archives). Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact 1. what connection type is known as "always on"? It would reduce diversity in the election structures. Because every vote is equal inside Ohio or Florida, presidential candidates avidly seek out voters in small, medium, and large towns. 41 States (with 80% of U.S. population) will be Ignored in the 2024 Presidential Election. An individuals vote doesnt make a difference when it is counted against the votes of the delegates in the House of Representatives and Senate. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. Rural voters would almost always be in the minority. mike matarazzo last photo. ashburnham school committee; its his baby now political cartoon meaning; softstar primal sawyer The issue raised by the National Popular Vote campaign is fundamental: What kind of a democracy should America be? However, this also means that regions with a quite low population density will almost have no influence on the election outcome at all since they only have far too few votes to make a real difference. The popular vote eliminates this issue too. In 6 Elections, 2 Near-Misses (2020, 2004) and 2 Second-Place Presidents (2016, 2000) National Popular Vote Has Been Enacted into Law in 16 Jurisdictions with 195 Electoral Votes. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among states and the District of Columbia to award their respective electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote of the presidential election. 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. 2. Many Americans are confused about how a win is obtained under these conditions and are on a quest to change this traditional statute. But for those people who feel that changing how we elect the president should only be done by constitutional amendment they will feel that using the NPV Compact will undermine the legitimacy of the process even though its perfectly legal and constitutional. The Electoral College system - the way we really elect our president - has always had its detractors and lost even more public support after the 2016 election, when it became apparent that President-ElectDonald Trump might have lost the nationwide popular vote to Sec. Or the opposite could be true. National Popular Vote (NPV) was founded in 2006 by lottery scratch-card inventor John Koza and election lawyer Barry Fadem to lobby for an "interstate compact" for states to deliver their electoral votes for President to the "winner" of the national popular vote. It was a great idea in 1787 but the country has changed since 1787 and the people today want to elect the president by a simple, direct popular vote where whoever gets the most votes wins like we do in every other election in the country. Currently, candidates focus more on swing and battleground states to help them gain those electoral votes. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, What Is Statutory Law? The time to stop its momentum is now. 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. 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. She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. The candidate who placed second in the popular vote was elected in 2016, 2000, 1888, 1876, and 1824. National Popular Vote will create a single member district (all 50 states and D.C.), where the candidate with the most votes wins and . Washington, DC 20005, Common Cause pays tribute to our leader, our friend, and a lifelong advocate for our democracy, Constitution, Courts & Other Democracy Issues, Ensure Fair Districts & Reflective Democracy, Expand Voting Rights & Election Integrity, Promote Free Speech & Accountability in Media, Protect the Constitution, Courts & Other Democracy Reforms. Lastly, some Americans believe that there would be an increase in voter turn-out if people felt that their vote was viewed as a significant asset to their country. In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore won the popular vote by more than 500,000 ballots, but George Bush became president by winning the Electoral College 271 to 266. Then, election officials in all participating states would choose the electors sworn to support thepresidential candidate who received the largest number of popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. On average, studies show that falls in line with historical averages showing around 60 percent of eligible voters casting a vote in presidential election years. District Plan CONS Technically still possible, but A LOT hard to do so District 1 = Romney 57% District 2 = Romney 52% District 3 = Romney 70% Gerrymandering. Their vote only counts at the local level, not the national level, because of the electoral votes. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. Instead, each state and Washington D.C. is assigned a certain number of electoral votes based on its population. Of the 538 Electoral College votes available, Donald J. Trump received 304 votes, Hillary Clinton received 227 votes, and seven votes went to others: three for Colin Powell, one for Faith Spotted Eagle, one for John Kasich, one for Ron Paul, and one for Bernie Sanders). Longley, Robert. Is this a solution to first past the post or is it merely reinforcing our current two party system? Some critics argue that more people would vote in a direct popular election, according to the University of the Pacific. After the process, the President of the Senate reveals who has officially been voted in as President and Vice President of the United States. The first problem it creates is the opportunity for the loser of the popular vote to win the electoral vote. Under the Electoral College system, voters in states that are overwhelmingly in support of one candidate might feel like their vote is unimportant. Even though we will be able to elect the president by national popular vote using the The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, eventually the rules for how we elect the president should be an official part of the Constitution. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. 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. "The National Popular Vote Plan." 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. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. The only election in the United States which is not governed by the popular vote is the presidential election. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This text is available online and is used for gudiance and inspiration, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. cons of the national popular vote plan. Richard F. Potthoff looks critically at a proposed alternative way of electing the US president, the National Popular Vote plan, where all states in an interstate compact which cover 270 or more electoral votes would cast their electoral votes for the candidate who won the nationwide vote, no matter who wins their state. Past Event: The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties has announced plans to broadcast a webinar discussing the National Popular Vote (NPV) on Monday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. National Popular Vote has been leading the campaign to fix the electoral college and elect the president by national popular vote since its founding in 2006 . The National Bonus Plan maintains the Electoral College voting system but adds 102 bonus electoral votes to the existing 538 votes. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. Dont know what Ranked Choice Voting is? Although many supporters of the electoral college argue that a two-party political system is more stable, some critics counter that having more than two parties would give Americans more choice. It would eliminate superfluous votes. By continuing well assume youre on board with our, https://samploon.com/electoral-college-and-national-popular-vote-pros-and-cons/, Select a writer from a large pool of experts. If that was to take place, America could potentially face the same issues it is facing now. It is also true that no president since 1824 has received the votes of a majority of the eligible voters and 18 presidents, including Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, John. State Question 820 lays out a statutory framework for a recreational industry that would begin about 90 days after election results are certified. All samples were added by students. 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. Home| Government| Elections| Electoral College| Electoral College Pros And Cons. Presidential candidates have no reason to poll, visit, advertise, organize, or campaign in states that they cannot possibly win or lose; in 2016, 68% of presidential campaign visits took place in just six states. The NPV movement seeks to create an unfair and unconstitutional system that diminishes the voting rights of citizens throughout the country and raises the prospect of increased voter fraud and. The National Popular Vote effort, explained The National Popular Vote effort is now halfway to its goal of electing future presidents via the popular vote, after Rhode Island Gov. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? And thats not how it should be in a democracy. 4. For under its plan, the next time the U.S. has very close national vote, a recount would not be of six million votes in one state but of more than 130 million votes in all states and the District of Columbia, all with their own rules for conducting a recount. National Popular Vote is a constitutional and practical way to implement nationwide popular election of the President a goal traditionally supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans. Since 2008, 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), which is an multi-state agreement to commit electors to. That means a candidate who receives a majority of their votes in a high-delegate state, such as California, could make a dramatic impact on the rest of the election. Before the 2016 election, the largest vote deficit in the popular vote was Al Gore securing over 500,000 votes more than George W. Bush. It understands that while the nation is one union, it is also an amalgam of varying experiences and perspectives arrived at via the settings and unique problems surrounding those who live in different places, and that these differences fall within the broad rubric of federalism. (2021, Jun 14). The Electoral College distorts presidential campaigns . The NPV is a multi-state agreement that, when active, would ensure that the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote nationally also wins in the Electoral College. 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. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. The National Bonus Plan was proposed by historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Cookie Notice Surprisingly enough, the National Popular Vote bill could possibly bring forth some problems. 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. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. The NPV Interstate Compact does not eliminate the very complicated Electoral College system that most voters dont really understand. Image the country thinks it is going to elect the president by National Popular Vote and then changing back to using the old Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system just four months before an election. 7. The first advantage allows for electoral votes to be fairer than the Electoral College (Richards). Using the NPV system means that every vote counts the same. Under the electoral college system, if a state consistently pulls as leaning to one party, someone who supports the other party may not vote because they feel like there isnt a need to do so. Many cities and school districts, under threat of a lawsuit by a Malibu attorney, have already adopted or are in the process of changing to district elections rather than remaining citywide or .