Could this be the end of the Electoral College?

Sunburn74

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2009
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This is probably the death knell I would say. Hopefully people will realize the obvious traps the EC system is creating and try and solve it way in advance.
 

UNCjigga

Lifer
Dec 12, 2000
24,929
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I don’t think this is a death knell...yet. I’m not convinced that “faithless electors” is a growing concern, nor am I convinced that we’ll see an EC tie anytime soon.

Don’t Dems/Repubs always get to choose their own electors? I suppose theoretically these electors could be subject to blackmail/coercion to change their vote, but unlikely that would go unnoticed.

Besides, this sword could cut both ways in 2020...wouldn’t be surprised to see more than a few Repubs toss out votes for Trump and write-in Joe Walsh or someone else.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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I doubt it's a big deal as governors don't appoint the electors, the parties pick them.
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
33,952
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This is probably the death knell I would say. Hopefully people will realize the obvious traps the EC system is creating and try and solve it way in advance.

Try and solve it? In our divided government? Hah.... good one.
 

SMOGZINN

Lifer
Jun 17, 2005
14,221
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This is not the end of the EC, but it is bringing even more attention to the problems of it. What I would say is that it is critical that the SCOTUS rule on this before the next election since we have two different rulings on this now. It probably won't be a issue in the next election, but if it is it would be really bad considering how polarizing the next election is going to be in any case.
 

SMOGZINN

Lifer
Jun 17, 2005
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How do parties get to pick electors for a state?

When you vote for a Presidential candidate in a state you are not actually voting for a person but their party. Once it is decided the party gets to choose electors to go to the EC. It is expected that the electors will cast their vote for the person that was on the ballot, but in most states it is not required for them to do so, in a few states it is required that they cast a vote for someone in the same party, but that is what this ruling just shot down, but there is another ruling in Washington state that they must vote for a member the proper party at least.
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
28,678
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EC is still a net detriment to democracy, this doesn't change much.

Not impressed.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
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Everything is accelerating, even the rate of change. Humanity has to become more and more liberal to keep up. The rub will come when the pace of change becomes so great that we fail to keep up because the number of people who would rather die than change holds us just that much back.
 
Nov 8, 2012
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EC is still a net detriment to democracy, this doesn't change much.

Not impressed.

There is a reason why it was created that way.

48 states didn't want to be spoken on behalf of 2 just because they are more densely populated. This is exactly what the founders wanted.

The EC will never go away, there is simply no legal way you will ever get a constitutional amendment to do away with it. Goodluck trying, might as well spend your time doing more valuable things. But hey, if folks want to waste their time I honestly don't care.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
85,581
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There is a reason why it was created that way.

48 states didn't want to be spoken on behalf of 2 just because they are more densely populated. This is exactly what the founders wanted.

If that’s what they wanted they failed miserably. We still have 48 states spoken on behalf of 2, it’s just because their partisan makeup is close to 50/50. So instead of presidential politics being dominated by California and Texas, which at least have the virtue of having a huge proportion of the population and dynamic economies, it’s dominated by...Ohio and Pennsylvania.

I fail to see how this is an improvement.

The EC will never go away, there is simply no legal way you will ever get a constitutional amendment to do away with it. Goodluck trying, might as well spend your time doing more valuable things. But hey, if folks want to waste their time I honestly don't care.

The EC may very well go away, sooner than you think, and without a constitutional amendment. The the national popular vote interstate compact is adding more states all the time and if it reaches 50.1% of the electoral votes necessary then the EC is abolished for all intents and purposes. Sure, it would still meet, but it would no longer matter.
 

IJTSSG

Golden Member
Aug 12, 2014
1,122
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Has NPVIC been approved by Congress yet? No? There's a long way to go before that starts affecting elections, if it ever does.
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
28,678
40,014
136
Libtards still butthurt over Hillary not winning.

Oh bullshit, never change you funny little pissant. Your approval of treason and corruption is just precious.

I'm dismayed over America not winning, and if you weren't such a treasonous piece of shit you'd share that anger too.
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
28,678
40,014
136
Simple answer from a simple mind.

That's all he/she is capable of, going by post history.

Sad little trolls, I almost pity them. Must suck always being a cheerleader for corruption, incompetence, the fondling of Russian testicles...
 

SlowSpyder

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
17,305
1,001
126
One day a Republican might win the popular vote but not the electoral college, if and when this day comes you will not hear a peep out of the left about ending the electoral college.
 
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Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,920
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EC is still a net detriment to democracy, this doesn't change much.

Not impressed.
The EC is a very democratic mechanism in the context of a constitutional republic. It insures representation in the presidential election for every state in the republic. The states are what matter here, the states elect the president.
 

MagnusTheBrewer

IN MEMORIAM
Jun 19, 2004
24,122
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The EC is a very democratic mechanism in the context of a constitutional republic. It insures representation in the presidential election for every state in the republic. The states are what matter here, the states elect the president.
Unfortunately, some States are a little more equal than others.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,920
5,543
136
Unfortunately, some States are a little more equal than others.
Depends on your point of view. Without the EC 3 or 4 states would elect the president every single time. That leaves 46 states without a say in who sits in the white house. I guess it all comes down to weather you support the voice of the people or the voice of the states, and on a personal view of government.
I'm not a huge fan of pure democracy, as there is no evidence that a million stupid people will make better decisions than one stupid person. The sum of our combined intelligence isn't increased by adding zeros.
One of the side effects (or maybe even the point) of a constitutional republic is to limit government and what the people can vote for, it's a cap on stupid. The down side of that is that it's also a cap on brilliance. Overall, stupid outnumbers brilliance about a million to one, so I see it as a net positive.
 
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fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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Depends on your point of view. Without the EC 3 or 4 states would elect the president every single time. That leaves 46 states without a say in who sits in the white house. I guess it all comes down to weather you support the voice of the people or the voice of the states, and on a personal view of government.
I'm not a huge fan of pure democracy, as there is no evidence that a million stupid people will make better decisions than one stupid person. The sum of our combined intelligence isn't increased by adding zeros.
One of the side effects (or maybe even the point) of a constitutional republic is to limit government and what the people can vote for, it's a cap on stupid. The down side of that is that it's also a cap on brilliance. Overall, stupid outnumbers brilliance about a million to one, so I see it as a net positive.

The president being elected by 3 or 4 states is literally what happens under the electoral college now, haha. It also does not guarantee representation for every state any more than a popular vote does. It is a purposefully anti-democratic institution designed to give additional representation to rural, conservative areas. That’s the point.

We are okay with electing literally every other elected official through a majority vote. Every single other one. It is long past time we got rid of yet another mistake in the Constitution. There were lots of them, it’s good to clean them up.