Persuasive Essay On The Electoral College

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The Electoral College system was established within the constitution by the United States founding fathers. It was loosely defined in the twelfth amendment, and has been a part of every election since. The system works in such a way that every state has a number of electors established by their population, and those electors vote either according to party affiliation or according to popular vote in their state. A majority of two hundred and seventy electors is needed to win a candidate for the presidency. This system was developed at the start of the American nation as a way to uplift civilian voices into government matters, and in a small nation that may suffice. However, in a country that now has fifty states and a population of over 300 million, the weight of the people's voice is too heavy a burden for the five hundred and thirty eight electors to carry. It disrupts the democratic idea of public political power, the distribution of electors is not proportional to the state population, and it discourages individuals from voting. …show more content…

When individual citizens vote, their votes go towards the popular vote. One would think that whoever wins the popular vote would win the election, however that's not the case. A candidate can win the popular vote, but end up losing the election. This is because while most states use a Winner-take-all system, meaning that whichever candidate wins the majority gets the electoral votes in that state; it is not required in all states. According to the website for the House of Representatives, an article on the E.C states “it is not unconstitutional for electors to vote for someone other than those to whom they pledged their support” meaning that there are no constitutional consequences for electors who choose to go against the entire states