Once effective, states could withdraw from the compact at any time except during the six-month window between July 20 of an election year and Inauguration Day (January 20). With the polarization in global politics today, especially in the United States, a switch to the popular vote would likely increase costs even further. 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. National Popular Vote values rural and urban voters equally. National Popular Vote (NPV) was founded in 2006 by lottery scratch-card inventor John Koza and election lawyer Barry Fadem to lobby for an "interstate compact" for states to deliver their electoral votes for President to the "winner" of the national popular vote. Get breaking news and updates from Common Cause. Before the 2016 election, the largest vote deficit in the popular vote was Al Gore securing over 500,000 votes more than George W. Bush. Watch out! It would reduce diversity in the election structures. Longley, Robert. Longley, Robert. Two-thirds of the campaign events were in four states, Florida, Iowa, Virginia, and Ohio, that year. 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. The National Popular Vote plan does not do away with the Electoral College system, an action that would require a constitutional amendment. Our experts will write for you an essay on any topic, with any deadline and requirements from scratch, Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons. But if we set politics aside and focus on what is really best for democracy in our country in the long run I believe that the advantages of using the NPV compact to elect our president outweigh the disadvantages and the best way to elect our president in the 21st century is by direct popular vote using Ranked Choice Voting. Since the Constitution and the Bill of Rights became governing documents in the United States, there have only been 17 amendments made to it. It knows that a majoritarianism that produces a plurality is not the voice of a majority of the citizenry. 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. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. If some of the 50 states and DC cannot certify their popular votes by the December deadline that could create a constitutional crisis where we would not have all of the state Electoral College votes certified by the time the Electoral College is required to vote according to the Constitution. 8. It sees a healthy and vibrant democracy needing the underpinnings of civil society that rests on the sustained and active engagement of the citizenry and promotes approaches that seek to maximize that involvement. There are alternatives to winner-take-all that do not involve abandoning the positive aspects of the Electoral College. Although faithless electors have not affected the results or outcome of an election yet, in 2016, there were 7 faithless electors. The electoral college leads to a heavy emphasis on swing states and also typically over-represents citizens in rural states. 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 This has occurred in 5 of the nation's 56 presidential elections, most recently in 2016. Instead, each state and Washington D.C. is assigned a certain number of electoral votes based on its population. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. "The National Popular Vote Plan." 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. Learn more about how the National Popular Vote compact works and the ways it could make our elections better for everyone. cons of the national popular vote planchicago religious demographics. 6. 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. It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes, and will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more. Proponents of the National Popular Vote fail to understand the most basic facts about the American presidential electoral system. It is our national motto and is so for a reason. Removing this system could encourage more people to come out to support their candidate. In the case of a tie, there are contingencies in place to determine which person will serve in the elected office. If the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact becomes law it would be an excellent first step to help get a future amendment to the Constitution to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect the president with a national popular vote using Ranked Choice Voting. And that would lead to chaos in how political parties campaign for president and could also undermine the legitimacy of the process. 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. As a result, the bill will take effect when enacted by states possessing an additional 74 electoral votes. Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee the Right to Vote for All U.S. Citizens. Currently, 48 of the 50 states follow the winner-take-all rule. Going to the popular vote would eliminate this issue altogether. Some critics argue that more people would vote in a direct popular election, according to the University of the Pacific. Change). 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 All other votes cast for that candidate are therefore superfluous. In U.S. history, the electoral college winner has failed to secure the popular vote 5 times. ashburnham school committee; its his baby now political cartoon meaning; softstar primal sawyer Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz often split about 60% of the GOP vote, which allowed Donald Trump to win early primaries with 35% of the vote. At the moment, 98 more electoral votes are needed to pass this bill in all 50 states (National Conference of State Legislators). Part of HuffPost Politics. Some areas may bend the rules of an election by extending voting hours illegally. Lawmakers discuss plan to enact National Popular Vote in Michigan. Others may struggle to meet higher than expected voter turnout levels. The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. A popular vote system would significantly impact voters and turnout. "The National Popular Vote Plan." The danger of NPV is that it will undermine the complex and vital underpinnings of American democracy. The last amendment, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, was ratified nearly 200 years after it was originally proposed. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. The use of the Electoral College has been the only approach the U.S. has used to gain a President, but this way has generated numerous issues. NPV is more than a third of the way to its goal. The one-vote approach does not align with the way the electoral votes operates. Although moving to a popular vote election would balance the weight of each vote, it would also create more sway in larger population states. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact collectively apportions votes to the winner of the overall popular vote without a constitutional amendment abolishing the electoral college or the assent of Congress. During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. 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. Bosque de Palabras and our https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047 (accessed March 4, 2023). 12th Amendment: Fixing the Electoral College, What Is Majoritarianism? But in practice it could happen every 10 or 20 years when the Electoral College votes change because the congressional boundaries change with the new population census. That is hardly a mandate for governing, though it would be taken as such. And finally, the Electoral College doesnt work today anywhere near how the Founding Fathers intended it to work when they created it back in 1787. 4. While we look further into the National Popular Vote, lets investigate some of its pro and cons for the American democracy. Explains kimberling, william c., and dave leip's . Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact 1. But for those people who feel that changing how we elect the president should only be done by constitutional amendment they will feel that using the NPV Compact will undermine the legitimacy of the process even though its perfectly legal and constitutional. The selection of presidential electors is specifically entrusted to the states by the Constitution. And thats not how it should be in a democracy. Pros & Cons of a National Popular Vote Buy Complete Issue $19.95 Login or Subscribe The National Popular Vote How would the interstate compact work? 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. Thats the way it has been in this country for a long time. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. 5. The National Popular Vote Plan. Because of the winner-take-all rule, a candidate can be elected president without winning the most popular votes nationwide. Candidates feel they either cant win or lose with the votes from these states. The votes of those who do not live in closely divided battleground states effectively count less. Surprisingly enough, the National Popular Vote bill could possibly bring forth some problems. 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.. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. Just another site cons of the national popular vote plan . 2. Unexpected emergencies would be difficult to handle. The National Popular Vote initiative transpired in 2006. It would eliminate superfluous votes. 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. 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. By adding this new interstate compact to the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect our president we are in fact making this system even more complicated and even harder for the voters to understand. 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%. It would require an Amendment in the U.S. for presidential elections. That effectively means that votes in the the 75% of the country that are in swing states effectively dont count at all. Like most issues involving politics, the U.S. Constitution is largely silent on the political issues of presidential elections. That's almost 1.5 billion . Under the electoral college, the majority votes of states assign electoral votes to a candidate, which then creates a majority total required for a victory. In addition, the bill has been unanimously approved at the committee level in the states of Georgia and Missouri, controlling a combined 27 electoral votes. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. That created a voter value of 2.85. 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.

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