The states would implement this plan once enough states controlling 270 electoral votes have signed on, guaranteeing that the national popular vote winner will win the presidency.. This divide creates natural divisions between groups of people who both support their country, but in different ways. But the biggest problem with changing how we elect our president using the NPV Compact is that its too easy to change it back. For example, if a candidate was very popular in New York City, Los Angeles and other large cities, she might not need to earn votes from other areas of the country. But the national popular vote plan doesn't require a . NCSL conducts policy research in areas ranging from agriculture and budget and tax issues to education and health care to immigration and transportation. Because there was a difference of less than 1,000 tabulated votes between George W. Bush and Al Gore in one state, Florida, the nation watched as 6 million votes were recounted by machine, several hundred thousand were recounted by hand in counties with differing recount standards, partisan litigators fought each other in state and federal courts, the secretary of state backed by the majority of state legislators (all Republicans) warred with the state's majority Democratic judiciary -- until 37 days after the election the U.S. Supreme Court, in a bitterly controversial 5-4 decision effectively declared Bush the winner. There are alternatives to winner-take-all that do not involve abandoning the positive aspects of the Electoral College. All states could adopt the system that now exists in Maine and Nebraska, where all but two electors are chosen by congressional district, and the other two go to the statewide winner. The Electoral College is very undemocratic and riddled with issues. Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. A candidate may not have to concentrate anymore, but they may have to move their attention to states such as Texas, New York, California, and Alaska. This move would ensure that the Presidency would be given to the candidate that received the most popular votes all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For example, if a state used NPV and voted for candidate A, but candidate B received the most votes nationwide, the state would allocate its presidential electors to candidate B. 2015. Proportional Plan Using the NPV system means that every vote counts the same. The method works by electing one elector within each congressional district by popular vote and selecting the remaining two electors by a statewide popular vote. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. There would be fewer opportunities to illegally alter the results of an election. That, in turn, would likely diminish voter turnout. Electoral college reform proposals include (1) the district plan, awarding each state's two at-large electoral votes to the statewide popular vote winners, and one electoral vote to the winning candidates in each congressional district; (2) the proportional plan, awarding electoral votes in states in direct proportion to the popular vote gained In 2016, Gary Johnson received 4.48 million votes and 0 electoral votes, but the potential is always there for this to happen. 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 . More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. That would likely reduce the number of voters who cast a ballot in each election as most people are more concerned about local impacts than national policies. Bosque de Palabras 7. National Popular Vote compact pros and cons. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the . 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 Regional candidates could secure enough votes to win a national election. Among the others: By its very size and scope, a national direct election will lead to nothing more than a national media campaign, which would propel the parties' media consultants to inflict upon the entire nation what has been heretofore limited to the so-called battleground states: an ever-escalating, distorted arms race of tit-for-tat unanswerable attack advertising polluting the airwaves, denigrating every candidate and eroding citizen faith in their leaders and the political process as a whole. The National Popular Vote plan would eliminate what critics of the Electoral College system point to as the "winner-take-all" rule - the awarding all of a state's electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in that state. According to Article II, Section 1, "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress." The electoral college leads to a heavy emphasis on swing states and also typically over-represents citizens in rural states. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. 3. If enacted by enough states, the National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A Critique of the National Popular Vote October 13, 2008 Policy Analysis No. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. National Popular Vote proponents argue that the United States has had four presidential elections in which the plurality winner of the popular vote was not chosen as president. Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee the Right to Vote for All U.S. Citizens. Weve already seen this issue take place with the GOP primaries in 2016. It is our national motto and is so for a reason. Disadvantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. To become president of the United States of America, you must be at least 35 years old, have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years and be a natural-born citizen. It makes things easier for extreme parties to gain representation. It would eliminate the threat of a faithless elector. It has also happened four times out of the 56 presidential elections. Hillary Clinton, but won the electoral vote to become the 45thPresident of the United States. 1. Less would get done, which would affect the needs of households at the local level. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. The National Popular Vote Plan. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, What Is Statutory Law? The National Popular Vote initiative transpired in 2006. The National Popular Vote Bill is a bill for Americans interested in both preserving our Electoral College and reforming the shortcomings of our current "winner-take-all" system that awards all the electors of one state to the candidate who wins in that particular state and . The votes of those who do not live in closely divided battleground states effectively count less. Many of these states dont participate in campaign visits or get televised ads. Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. They have only won the popular vote once. State Question 820 lays out a statutory framework for a recreational industry that would begin about 90 days after election results are certified. If this happens many people in the red states will not feel that the change is legitimate even if its legal and technically constitutional. 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. 2. Over the long run the countrys popular vote in presidential elections has roughly been equally split between Republican and Democratic.*. amazon web services address herndon va custom airbrush spray tan near me custom airbrush spray tan near me https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047 (accessed March 4, 2023). This has occurred in 5 of the nation's 56 presidential elections, most recently in 2016. Proponents of the National Popular Vote fail to understand the most basic facts about the American presidential electoral system. These are the states that may go to either major party candidate in the election. In a closely contested direct popular election, every precinct across the country might require close examination, rather than a handful of states or precincts. cons of the national popular vote planchicago religious demographics. The first advantage allows for electoral votes to be fairer than the Electoral College (Richards). In 2004, for example, candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry campaigned heavily in states such as Nevada while ignoring political issues in New York, a state that Kerry was sure to win, according to the University of the Pacific. All in all, the Electoral College causes many problems that seem unfair to American voters during such an important election. 10 Apr. A popular vote election would bring the presidential election in line with the rest of the election structures. The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. 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. The Congressional District method would allocate electoral votes based on the winner of each congressional district. Would it aid a fight to eliminate first past the post or would it further entrench the established party system voters American voters have expressed disdain for. Security would be improved across the country. In Maine, both houses of the legislature passed the bill in 2019, but it failed at the final enactment step. The one-vote approach does not align with the way the electoral votes operates. But with the NPV Compact a change in party control of just one or two states could restore the old system of electing the president and then four years later it could be changed back. 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. 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 Lastly, the biggest problem that the Electoral College produces is the reality that a persons vote really doesnt matter (Black). 4. But if some non-member The pros and cons of the popular vote structure of an election allow for the majority to have their say in who they wish to serve. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some . F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were elected with less than a majority of the votes cast. Similarly, because a national campaign mandates a national message, there would also be a smaller incentive for coalition-building or taking into account the characteristics, needs and desires of citizens in differing states and regions. NPV is more than a third of the way to its goal. It is perhaps the most simplistic form of an election. Or states might explore what was recently proposed in Colorado -- that electors be allocated in proportion to each candidate's share of the popular vote above a certain threshold. One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. 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%. 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). what connection type is known as "always on"? For more information, please see our On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. List of the Cons of Proportional Representation. That would give the Compact states only 3 days( and two of those days were weekend days) to certify their state votes. Only Nebraska and Maine do not. At the moment, 98 more electoral votes are needed to pass this bill in all 50 states (National Conference of State Legislators). 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. It gives more voting power to individual voters in smaller states. 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. . 622 By John Samples The National Popular Vote plan (NPV), introduced in more than 40 states, and adopted. In the 2016 election, only 58 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. That view of democracy recognizes the existence and desirability of organized interests and enshrines that principle under the concept of pluralism. Published: Mar. This is a situation that has caused controversy in the election years of of 1800, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 when the elected president won the Electoral College and the presidency but did not win the popular vote. Is this a solution to first past the post or is it merely reinforcing our current two party system? The framers enacted the provisions relating to the Electoral College to allow for state innovation. Definition and Examples. Second, some believe itll intensify election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout (Richards). The popular vote eliminates this issue too. cons of the national popular vote plansuper lemon haze greenhouse. But sometime in the future the popular vote will change back and lean Republican. The electoral requires that an election which does not receive a majority of electoral votes be taken into the U.S. House of Representatives. 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. Just 12 Closely Divided Battleground States Got 96% of 2020 Campaign Events. The Electoral College system, however imperfect, serves this broader view of democracy. This brings us to 196 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the pact. In the early 19th century, many states ratified an approach that would allow the candidate with the most votes in that state to be the winner. But don't forget, Bush won the popular vote four years later by three million votes. 8. Though the original, some would say highly undemocratic, purpose. As of December 2020, the bill has been fully adopted predominately by Democratic-majority blue states which delivered the 14 largest vote shares for Barack Obama in the 2012 Presidential Election. Others may struggle to meet higher than expected voter turnout levels. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. The alternative view of democracy is more complex; it is one that includes but is not limited to the pursuit of equality. (LogOut/ Battleground states would disappear in U.S. elections. The first problem it creates is the opportunity for the loser of the popular vote to win the electoral vote. 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. Today, many electors are bound to vote according to their states' popular vote results, and those who aren't almost always do. Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. In the 2020 election California did not certify their votes until Friday, December 11, only 3 days before the Electoral College met on Monday, December, 14. Each vote would affect each candidate instead of being overlooked due to which state those votes would be coming from. Today, the fact that Nebraska and Maine do not use the winner-take-all system serves as proof that modifying the Electoral College system, as proposed by the National Popular Vote plan is constitutional and does not require a constitutional amendment. 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. The winner-take-all rule is not required by the Constitution and was actually used by only three states in the nation's first presidential election in 1789. 1. A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. Definition and Examples, Learn How Many Total Electoral Votes There Are. If that was to take place, America could potentially face the same issues it is facing now. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The discussion around using the popular vote for elections has increased since the results of the 2016 election. This National Popular Vote Compact wouldn't take effect until states with 270 electors a majority joined in. If the election is based off a popular vote, each of these areas would need to be closely examined in real-time, which would enhance the security of each vote that is cast. 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. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. Would you like to get a custom essay? In 2016, Hillary Clinton had more than 10 million of these votes, while Donald Trump had more than 8.3 million, even though Trump won 30 states and Clinton won 20 and the District of Columbia. Electing a president who did not have broad regional support could lead to a fractured and less cohesive country, according to the Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 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. This advance is referred to as the winner-take-all approach. Their answer is simple: one in which every citizen's vote is equal to every other citizen's vote and one in which the winner of the presidential popular vote, no matter how small his or her percentage is of those who voted, would be elected. Heres how. 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. At that stage, anyone who received an electoral vote is eligible to become the next president. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. Some critics argue that more people would vote in a direct popular election, according to the University of the Pacific. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). Here is the entire text of the proposed "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote." Tweet Email this More on The Electoral College: Honorable Steve Cohen Under the National Popular Vote plan,the compact would take effect only when enabling legislation has been enacted by states collectively possessing a majority of the electoral votes:270 of 538 total. 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. Rebekah Richards is a professional writer with work published in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "Brandeis University Law Journal" and online at tolerance.org. Cookie Notice By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. 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. 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. All other votes cast for that candidate are therefore superfluous. A popular vote election takes all ballots that are cast, counts them, and declares the winner based on who received the most votes. In U.S. history, the electoral college winner has failed to secure the popular vote 5 times. How Many Electoral Votes Does a Candidate Need to Win? http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. According to the Constitution, the Electoral College is a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens (National Archives). That nightmare may seem like a pleasant dream if NPV has its way. This text is available online and is used for gudiance and inspiration, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. After the 2016 presidential election, political science expert Nate Silver wrote that, since the swing states are not likely to support any plan that might reduce their influence over control of the White House, the National Popular Vote bill will not succeed unless the predominately Republican red states adopt it. Without any sort of broad support, the politics of the country could become even more fractured than they already are. Web. The NPVIC is an agreement among states designed to guarantee election of the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. NPV is grounded in two powers delegated to states by the Constitution: the power to design rules for awarding their electoral votes and the power to enter into interstate Going to the popular vote would eliminate this issue altogether. 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. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. 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. 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. 2. Right now, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote. People are moving to live in like-minded communities more than ever before. Today the Democrats want to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system with a direct popular vote and the Republicans adamantly want to keep it. 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 official 2016 election results from the Electoral College gave Donald J. Trump the victory with 306 electoral votes v. Hillary Clinton's 232 votes. On a close popular vote, often defined as a difference of 0.5% or less in the tabulated results, an automatic recount would likely be triggered. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. Because its so hard to get an amendment to the Constitution passed that means that once it becomes law it will probably remain so for a long time because the bar to change it back is so high. A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. During a popular vote, a candidate who withdraws from the race or dies before the election can be held could still be on the ballot. I fear that most, if not all, of the states signing onto the NPV Compact will be just blue states. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. mike matarazzo last photo. The country thinks we are going to elect the president using the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system tans and then four months before the election we change to the National Popular Vote Compact system and elect the president by whoever gets the most popular votes. Make a contribution to support Common Cause today. Ken Bickers. Although the 20th Amendment to the Constitution provides clarity to this situation, that process is based on the electoral college. E pluribus unum -- out of many, one. 5. 3. America is known to have the costliest, prolonged, and complicated structure when electing a head of state. How the National Popular Vote Plan Would Work. 4. The National Bonus Plan was proposed by historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. 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.