Poll: Should the Electoral college be done away with?

[jaydee]

Reasons to keep:

Hard to amend (small states would lose representation)

Reasons to ditch:

More Democratic
Lead to end for 2 party system



(If I missed something lemme know.)

 

[Chef0083]

I don't know if it would lead to the end of the 2 party system. It may make it easier for indy's to get more votes but end it? Americans LOVE labels! They have to have a label to stick on something to they know what it is. I mean we try to label EVERYTHING! I think the electoral college is fine for now.

 

[PG]

It shouldn't have been created in the first place and I don't see how it would hurt small states much. They don't have much for a total population, so they don't have many electoral college votes either. Yes, I know that they get the 2 automatic ones from their Senate seats, but still I don't think eliminating the electoral college would hurt them much. Many so called landslide victories haven't been real landslides at all if you look at the total popular vote.

The electoral college was created so that the people in Washington could put in office who they wanted just in case all us average people didn't have the brains to vote for the correct person. To me that is a major hiccup in our so called democratic system and could be exploited someday, even if it hasn't been yet.

PG

 

[DABANSHEE]

You'll need a preferential voting system before you can get rid of the 2 party setup,

Because until then a vote for a third party is a wasted vote - say a lefty votes for Nader, it actually then helps Bush as its one less vote fore Gore, Same thing happens if a conservative votes for Buchanen, they are actually helping Gore as it means one less vote for Bush.

However if you could rank the candidates from 1 to 9 in preference (I understand there are 9 presidential candidates), one could give their 1st preference to whoever they want, but still give their preference as far as the 2 party preferred vote is concerned.

Say someone hated the Dems & the Republicans but preferred Bush slightly more than Gore, well they could give their top 7 preferences to indepedents & make Bush their 8th preference & Gore their 9th preference, which would mean if none of the independents got enough votes to have a chance of forming govt then their vote will go to Bush rather than Gore.

 

[4824guy]

My vote-get rid of the Electoral College method, each voter in each state should count the same directly to the person running.

The electoral college is an outdate process from a time when the average person didn't know much about what was going on. In todays new, info, and high media days, it is no longer needed.

 

[4824guy]

My vote-get rid of the Electoral College method, each voter in each state should count the same directly to the person running.

The electoral college is an outdate process from a time when the average person didn't know much about what was going on. In todays news, info, and high media days, it is no longer needed.

 

[MI6]

While doing away with the electoral college would not weaken the 2 party system it would posibly get an independent voted into office. I am sorry but i just don't want Perot talking to Sadam and whip out a chart about how he has hurt the US.
Think about how outraged the public of today would be if the president elected didn't get more popular votes than his opponite? That's when the college would be removed. Then every, and i mean every, polition that voted agenst what the popular vote of his area would be out of office with recalls faster than a Cheetah with a rocket.

 

[woodie1]

Yes, I think the electorial college has outlived its usefullness.

 

[DragonKnight]

Dump it.

-Rich

 

[Vaneleus]

Hey anybody know if the electoral vote has been different than the popular vote---winner-wise. I am not sure but I don't think using the popular vote would have resulted in a different outcome at least not in recent history? Can anyone correct me on this?

 

[MemphisBleek]

suckaz

 

[Wangel]

No

 

[sciencewhiz]

Can someone explain to me how getting rid of the electoral college will help third-party canidates?

The way that I look at it, in at least 50% of the states, either Bush or Gore is going to win very easily. If I were to live in one of those states, I would have no reason to vote for Bush or Gore because they would win any, so I wouldn't be wasting my vote by voting for Browne, Nader, or Buchanan. On the other hand, if we used the popular vote, no matter what state I am in my vote counts the same, so I really would be wasting a vote if I voted for a third party canidate.

 

[ElFenix]

winner take all electoral college is what's weird. it means that a state votes instead of the state's citizens. maine isn't winner take all and its electoral votes get split accordingingly. the system would be much truer to the actual percentages. but, it wouldn't end the two-party system. the two party system is around because the US has single member districts only. the vote of half the people essentially doesn't count. if the turnout for the two majors was 51% and the turnout for a 3rd was 49% but one of the majors won each electoral district the 3rd party still wouldn't have a single representative. there are ways for 3rd parties to be successful. first, focus on regional issues within a small geographic area. the populists did this really well back in the late 1800s, and eventually got their platform adopted by the democratic party (which happens to be the oldest political party on the planet).

 

[MemphisBleek]

fvck collage i make more money that all you combined

 

[jaydee]

Vaneleus,

Yeah in 1888, Grover Cleveland lost electorally, but won popularly over Benjamen Harrison (not so sure about Harrison being the winner but I think so).