Unlike any other democracy in the world, the United States elects its president using the electoral college system. Not even state and local level elections within the United States use this archaic approach. The system was created to protect the interests of smaller states, yet it has failed to do so, meaning it is no longer relevant. The electoral college system is unfair and should be abolished because of the dominance of the winner-takes-all system, inequality of votes, and reliance on electors. Winner Take All System One of the main appeals of the electoral college system is that it avoids the “tyranny of the majority” by creating a way for the less popular candidate to win the presidency. Unfortunately, the system was unsuccessful in …show more content…
This objective was unsuccessful. In fact, according to CGP Grey, the number of inhabitants is irrelevant, because candidates focus on swing states. States that consistently vote for or against certain parties are completely disregarded. Candidates don’t need the approval of the people, but rather the approval of a slight majority of citizens in swing states. However, while the system may not give more power to individual smaller states, it still amplifies the voices of the minority. A writer for the New York Times, Ross Douthat explains the advantage of the electoral system in his article “A Case for the Electoral College.” He explains how in the 1800s, the amplified power of the minority balanced “the electoral gains that white supremacist Democrats reaped by disenfranchising black voters” (Douthat). He explains how this makes it possible for a less popular candidate to win the presidency as long as the “minority is regionally concentrated rather than diffuse[d]” (Douthat). While this viewpoint may seem appealing, it better serves to highlight other issues within our political system than support the continuation of the electoral college approach. There are other ways to account for voter disenfranchisement than relying on the presidential election system to account for the …show more content…
It is time for the United States to discard a voting system that allows the minority population of the country to choose the president. While the minority’s interests are still important, a democracy should reflect the will of the general population, not a select few. To protect the interests of the minority, the United States should revert to a two-round system with the added resolution that the winning candidate must get over 55% of the votes or else the losing candidate becomes the vice president. This way the intentions of the general population are reflected in the presidency, but the minority isn’t completely silenced. Whether or not this is the right solution, continuing with the electoral college system is the wrong one. The power of the winner takes all system, disparities in voter impact, and the presence of electors are such great disadvantages that the electoral college system should be