The Past, Present, and Future of the Electoral College

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In the United States, the Electoral College determines the victor of a national election. Each state has its own number of electoral votes, which is determined by state population. This system is a “winner takes all” system. Which means the candidate with 50 percent or more of the votes in an individual state gets all of that states electoral votes. The 2016 presidential election will have 538 electoral votes, this means that the election will be decided who is the first candidate to 270 votes. Some people have seen this system as outdated and unjust. Many are looking at a way to change the system and others would like to do away with the system
Understanding the factors that warranted the creation of the system is essential. When the constitution was being created, the framers wanted to avoid creating a strong executive branch. One idea the framers created was to have congress directly choose the president. However, the idea was rejected because some felt that making this choice would be too divisive and leave animosity in congress. Others felt that such a procedure would invite unseemly political bargaining, corruption, and perhaps even interference from foreign powers. An alternative reason why this idea was rejected is, “others felt that such an arrangement would upset the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches of the federal government” (Kimberling 2). This idea was also rejected because many felt that it would ruin balance between the legislative and executive powers. A second idea for presidential elections was to have the president elected by the popular vote. The idea was discarded because the framers feared that the citizens would not have sufficient knowledge of candidate outside one’s state. T...

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...w.minnpost.com/eric-black-ink/2012/10/10-reasons-why-electoral- college-problem>

"The Electoral College - Maine and Nebraska." The Electoral College - Maine and Nebraska. The Center for Voting and Democracy, 10 Dec. 2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. .

Henderson, Nia-Malika, and Errin Haines. "Republicans in Virginia, Other States Seeking Electoral College Changes." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
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"Legislation Would Remove 'winner Takes All' in Va. Electoral Votes." INSIDENOVA.COM. TownNews.com, 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

Bugh, Gary. Electoral College Reform: Challenges and Possibilities. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate Pub., 2010. Print

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