Electoral College
...lectoral College. Feeling that their vote doesn’t count because the ultimate decision is made by the Electoral College, voters may become apathetic and turn out in smaller numbers. Electors, being of their own will, can choose to vote in a manner inconsistent with the popular vote. Interest in the system of the Electoral College is not a new occurrence. Debate about the college runs back to Constitutional Convention. Instances of Electoral College selection contradicting popular election results have occurred several times in the nations short history. The Electoral College has played a controversial role in the elections of 1824, 1876, 1888 and more recently 2000. In 1824 Andrew Jackson received the majority of the popular vote. None of the candidates, however, received enough Electoral College votes to become President. The election had to be decided by the House of Representatives. John Quincy Adams was chosen by the House of Representatives despite the popular vote for Jackson. The 1876 election between Rutherford Hayes and Samuel Tilden was also controversial. Tilden had won a small majority of the popular vote and the vote of the Electoral College was also close. The southern states of Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina each turned in two contradicting votes, one set for Tilden and one set for Hayes. The vote again had to be decided by Congress. A special commission was appointed to resolve the issue. The commission narrowly decided in favor of Hayes in each of the three instances. In 1888 the election between Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland was also contradictory to the slight popular majority. Cleveland won a majority of popular votes by less than one percent. Harrison was able to win in some of the larger key states and was therefore able to gain a majority of the electoral votes. Perhaps the most controversial election has been the 2000 race between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Made even more infamous by the widespread influence of the press. Gore received a greater number of the popular vote, however, Bush was able to carry some of the larger key states. The outcome of the election hinged on the outcome of a highly controversial recount in Florida. The ultimate outcome of the election was decided by the Supreme Court which stopped the recount therefore ending the election in favor of Bush. This election brought the Electoral College to the attention of the public along with other problems with the election process including absentee voting and confusing ballots. Another possible drawback of the Electoral College system is its potential effect on voter turnout. The general population may feel that, because the election is decided by the Electoral College, their individual vote does not count or is in some way of less influence on the outcome of the election. There is little reason for the states to encourage voters to come out in force for the Presidential election. In some cases it may even be seen as advantageous to discourage a large voter turnout in order for a minority of voters to make the decision. Faithless Electors, those who cast their vote contrary to their pledged party vote also present the possibility for problems. Although no past election has been swayed by the “faithless” Electors the possibility for such anomalies does exist. Despite the seemingly prominent negative aspects of the Electoral College system, there are some benefits to the system that should not be overlooked. The Electoral College adds to the influence of minorities in Presidential elections. It helps to maintain political stability by promoting the two party system. It also helps to maintain the Federalist system of government that was created during the Constitutional Convention. The Electoral College system is beneficial to minorities. Minority influence on elections becomes important because of the “winner take all” votes of the Electors of each states. Minorities have an influence in state elections that they may not have in a straight popular election especially in key states with large populations and a corresponding large number of electors. This influence can be seen in the way that Presidential Candidates court minorities in California, New York and Florida. Racial minorities holding the balance of power in large states agree. “Take away the Electoral College,” said Bernon Jordan as president of the Urban League, “and the importance of being black melts away. Blacks, instead of being crucial to victory in major states, simply become 10 percent of the electorate, with reduced impact.” The Electoral College system promotes a two party system by making it difficult for third parties to get Electoral College votes. A third party candidate would have to carry a majority of in a given state in order to gain any Electoral College votes effectively eliminating them from becoming a serious contender in any given election. When the Electoral College was created, the rights and representation of the states was a central issue. It is clear that the founders did not want the large states to overshadow the small states. The Electoral College insures that small states remain an important part of the Presidential election process. “To abolish the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular election for President would strike at the very heart of the federal structure laid out in out Constitution and would lead to the nationalization of our central government - to the detriment of the States.” The controversies surrounding the Electoral College are not a new issue. Calls for reform began almost immediately after the system was introduced. Due to the seeming inadequacies of the Electoral College system, several proposals have been made for reforming the system. One proposal calls for the complete abolition of the Electoral College in favor of the direct popular vote. Another calls for Elector voting by congressional district rather than “winner take all” voting. A third proposal would keep the Electoral College but remove the Electors from the process. Completely eliminating the Electoral College in favor of direct elections seems to be the most popular proposal. Direct elections may at first appear to be a better and more democratic system of elections, however, direct elections bring with them the potential for even more problems than ...