Morgan BreAnn Davidson

Professor Kurt Shirkey

Political Science 1100
25 April 201
!efor"ation of the #lectoral $ollege% An #nd to &nfair 'oting
(he $onstitution of the &nited States of A"erica is the foundation for the country )e live in
today* +n that $onstitution, )e find articles e-plaining )ays in )hich our country is to .e run*
(he articles include things such as )ho is to o.tain legislative po)er, )hat role does the
President play, and also ho) the citi/ens of A"erica are to choose their ne-t President* Article ++
section 1 e-plains ho) voting for the ne-t President, as )ell as the 'ice President, is to .e done*
+n the $onstitution, our founding fathers i"ple"ented a syste" called the #lectoral $ollege* (his
)as a )ay to ensure all thirteen colonies a fair and so"e)hat speedy election* +n that era the
only )ay to co""unicate )as .y horse.ack* (he #lectoral $ollege allo)ed each colony to
delegate a candidate and to send their 0#lector1, those )ho represent their colony, to vote
according to )hat the "a2ority of the colony has chosen* (he idea fit the ti"es yet )as never
very successful* +n past elections, the )inner )as not al)ays the popular choice of the people*
(his has occurred four ti"es in history the "ost recent .eing the election of 2000* Due to this
fla) and several others in the #lectoral $ollege, the syste" should .e refor"ed allo)ing each
citi/en3s vote to .e accurately portrayed in the outco"e of the election*
A )ay in )hich the #lectoral $ollege could .e refor"ed is .y not allo)ing the electors to
deviate fro" their agree"ent to vote for the candidate chosen .y the people* (here are nu"erous
accounts of 0rogue1 electors changing their vote at the last "inute* $hanges in elector3s votes
"ay .e a personal choice or .e a result of outside pressures* +n a 200 study pu.lished .y !o.ert
1
M* Ale-ander, a )riter for $44, he .le) the cover on those )ho serve as electors* 5e later
co""ented on his study, 0+n the hotly contested 2000 election, "any electors )ere su.2ected to
vigilant lo..ying ca"paigns* So"e received thousands of e6"ails7 at least one received a death
threat*1 (his )as 8uite shocking* +f our electors are .eing .ullied into choosing a side, then )hy
not refor" their a.ility to choose9 (he electors could si"ply .e representatives for their state*
(hey could .e allo)ed to vote as an individual .efore the popular count, .ut not after* (his
)ould lessen the likely6hood of lo..ying ca"paigns sending death threats and pressuring
electors into contradicting their original accord* A legal solution to this pro.le" has already .een
proposed* +t is called the &nifor" :aithful Presidential #lectors Act* (he Act constitutes
resignation for any individual )ho violates their pledge to vote according to the )ishes of the
voters* Si"ple and effective, this )ould put an end to faithless electors*
So"e )ould argue that although the rogue electors in the past fe) elections did change their
vote, the outco"e, ho)ever, did not change* (his is a valid argu"ent, though, despite the
unchanged outco"e, voters are unnerved .y the possi.ility of faithless voters dictating )ho is to
)in* ;thers "ay dispute that the )inners are already chosen, and the )hole election is rigged*
(hese conspirators "ay .e "isinfor"ed, as there are "any ru"ors circulating a.out )hat is
really going on* <hether or not this is true, it is difficult to prove nonetheless*
Another pro.le" to consider )ith the #lectoral $ollege is that the citi/ens living in the
&nited States3 territories are not allo)ed to vote* (hese territories include A"erican Sa"oa )ith
a population of a.out 5=,>>?, @ua" )ith 1=5,A== inha.itants, Puerto !ico )ith a total of
?,B2=,1AA citi/ens, the &*S* 'irgin +slands )ith 10A,>05 people, and several others* (he only
territory )hose residents have the a.ility to vote is the District of $olu".ia* (he allo)ance of
those living in D*$* only occurred )hen the 2?
rd
a"end"ent )as adopted* 5o) then, can even
2
the populous vote .e accurate9 +t can3t and neither can the electoral vote* <ith a large portion of
&*S* citi/ens not allo)ed to vote, the election results "ay not represent the true opinion of the
people* !efor"ing the #lectoral $ollege to allo) all citi/ens not 2ust those )ithin the confines of
A"erica the right to vote )ill put and end to the false representation of the voting syste"*
Along )ith the pro.le"s of citi/ens not .eing allo)ed to vote and electors not staying true to
their co""it"ents lays another issue* (he a"ount of electoral votes given to each state does not
correlate )ith the population of each state* #very state .egins )ith three electoral votes* After
that the states are given one vote for each "e".er for the 5ouse of !epresentatives, and one for
each of its t)o &*S* senators* (he nu".er of "e".ers in the 5ouse of !epresentatives is .ased
on the states population as a percentage of the total population of the &nited States* (he District
of $olu".ia differs in that it only receives the three electoral votes* (he pro.le" )ith starting
out )ith three electoral votes for each state and the District of $olu".ia, is that so"e states
Cincluding D*$*D )ith s"aller populations are "ade out to look larger than they are, and so"e
largely populated areas appear s"aller and less populated than they really are* (his
"isrepresentation is unnecessary* +t gives states that are less populated "ore po)er than they
should have and takes votes a)ay fro" states )ith a higher population*
+n addition to the previous clai"s, one can argue that if the #lectoral $ollege )as not
included in the $onstitution, the entire syste" of the #lectoral $ollege )ould .e considered
unconstitutional* As stated in the $onstitution, )e are to .e a de"ocracy not a repu.lic* (he idea
of one vote per person is violated in that the electors are to .e delegates for the voters not
dictators* (hese 0chosen fe)1 should not have the po)er to s)ay elections .y suddenly changing
their votes and altogether ignoring the votes of the citi/ens* By e-cluding the votes of those &*S*
citi/ens living in territories, )e have created even "ore unfairness in the Presidential elections,
?
steering us further fro" a de"ocratic society* (he syste" of the #lectoral $ollege itself has
.eco"e that of a repu.lic not a de"ocracy* <ays in )hich )e today understand ho) a
de"ocracy should )ork are upset .y the #lectoral $ollege* !efor"ing the #lectoral $ollege )ill
place stricter regulations on those individuals chosen to represent the states and territories,
therefore ena.ling the process to no longer .e "anipulated in favor of one party or the other* (he
votes of the electors )ill then .e the actual voice of the people*
5o)ever, it can .e de.ated that a de"ocracy has the potential to .e difficult to control
)ith such a large population* (he true intention of a de"ocracy )as for s"aller groups not large
nations such as the &nited States of A"erica* (his can cause pro.le"s )ith allo)ing the )inners
of an election to .e chosen .y a populous vote* ;ne can say there is too "uch roo" for error* ;n
the other hand, )ith the technology )e have to day, it is 8uicker than ever to count each vote*
<e no longer have to send in our votes via horse and .uggy* Although ne) technology can have
fla)s as )ell, it has no)here near the fla)s of counting votes in colonial ti"es* 'otes are not as
easily lost, and can .e accounted for years later* !ecords are open to the pu.lic for a year, and
are then stored in a vault* All in all, a de"ocracy, although difficult at ti"es, can .e successful*
(he co"plications of the #lectoral $ollege, once resolved, )ill help to get our nation .ack to a
true de"ocracy*
;nce the citi/ens of the &nited States see the refor" in action, they )ill .e "ore apt to
vote* Many eligi.le voters choose not to vote .ecause they feel their vote plainly does not "ake a
difference* (hey feel as if the electors have all the po)er, and see it pointless to enter the poll
.ooths* +t is understanda.le ho) "any &*S* citi/ens feel this )ay, after seeing the populous vote
fail four ti"es throughout history* <ould individuals .e inclined to place .ets on say a .o-ing
"atch or horse race if they kne) there )as a slight chance the )inner "ay actually lose9 4ot

Eikely* (hen )hy is it that in our voting syste" )e allo) roo" for such "istakes9 +t is clear that
the #lectoral $ollege is failing us and is no longer a )ise "ethod of choosing our leaders* (he
gro)th of our nation calls for changes to our voting syste"* <e are no longer living in colonial
ti"es, and should not use such outdated processes* ;ur :ounding :athers did not e-pect the
#lectoral $ollege to )ork the )ay it does and the pro.le"s it )as intended to fi- no longer e-ist*
(his should .e reason enough to update our #lectoral $ollege*
!efor"ation of the #lectoral $ollege )ill allo) for pro.le"atic incidents to co"e to a
halt* +ncidents such as rogue voters, eligi.le citi/ens .eing denied the right to vote due to their
geographical location, and the entire syste" defying the very $onstitution it is ste""ed fro",
)ill cease* (here is no need to re"ove the syste" entirely* (he #lectoral $ollege can e-ist as
long as those issues are addressed* (he reason for addressing such issues is .latantly o.vious* +t
is to give each 8ualified citi/en the right to vote and to .e a part of a de"ocracy as anticipated .y
the fra"ers of our $onstitution* (hen and only then can )e call our #lectoral $ollege a fair
"eans to elect our leaders*
5
<orks $ited%
FAttenuated De"ocracy% An +ntroduction to &* S* @overn"ent and Politics*FAttenuated
De"ocracy% An +ntroduction to &* S* @overn"ent and Politics* 4*p*, n*d* <e.* 01 May
201* Ghttp%HHpols1100te-t*)ee.ly*co"HI*
F#lectoral $ollege*F 5istory*co"* AJ# (elevision 4et)orks, n*d* <e.* 01 May 201*
Ghttp%HH)))*history*co"HtopicsHelectoral6collegeI*
F:air'ote*org K #lectoral $ollege% :ALMs*F :air'ote* 4*p*, n*d* <e.* 01 May 201*
Ghttp%HH)))*fairvote*orgHrefor"sHnational6popular6voteHthe6electoral6collegeHelectoral6
college6fa8sHI*
F(he $onstitution of the &nited States% A (ranscription*F 4ational Archives and !ecords
Ad"inistration* 4ational Archives and !ecords Ad"inistration, n*d* <e.* 01 May 201*
Ghttp%HH)))*archives*govHe-hi.itsHchartersHconstitutionNtranscript*ht"lI*
Ale-ander, !o.ert M*, and (he ;pinions #-pressed in (his $o""entary Are Solely
(hose of !o.ert M* Ale-ander* F!ogue #lectors (hreaten #lectionsM +ntegrity*F $44*
$a.le 4e)s 4et)ork, 01 Oan* 1B=0* <e.* 01 May 201*
Ghttp%HH)))*cnn*co"H2012H10H22HopinionHale-ander6electorsHI*
FActs*F :aithful Presidential #lectors Act* 4*p*, n*d* <e.* 01 May 201*
Ghttp%HH)))*unifor"la)s*orgHAct*asp-9titleP:aithfulQ20PresidentialQ20#lectors
Q20ActI*
F&nited States (erritories 6 Eearn All a.out the 1 &nited States (erritories*FA.out*co"
@eography* 4*p*, n*d* <e.* 01 May 201*
Ghttp%HHgeography*a.out*co"HodHunitedstatesofa"ericaHaHusterritories*ht"I*
F!ead &p on <ho !eally #lects the &S Presidents*F A.out*co" &S @overn"ent +nfo*
4*p*, n*d* <e.* 01 May 201*
Ghttp%HHusgovinfo*a.out*co"HodHthepoliticalsyste"HaHelectcollege*ht"I*
FPresidents <inning <ithout Popular 'ote*F :act$heckorg* 4*p*, n*d* <e.* 01 May
201* Ghttp%HH)))*factcheck*orgH200AH0?Hpresidents6)inning6)ithout6popular6voteHI*
F$o""entary% <hy the #lectoral $ollege Syste" Makes Eittle Sense (oday*FPBS* PBS,
n*d* <e.* 01 May 201* Ghttp%HH)))*p.s*orgHne)shourHrundo)nHco""entary6)hy6the6
electoral6college6syste"6"akes6little6sense6todayHI*
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