For those of you who are not familiar with the electoral college, no, it is not a school. Bush the white house after al gore won the popular vote. Eliminating the electoral college does not even require a constitutional amendment. An effort known as the national popular vote interstate compact is an agreement among several u. A president has lost the popular vote but won the electoral college four. In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in november after you vote. Popular voteresults of a presidential election based on how individual citizens vote. Senators from the 50 states, plus 3 members of the electoral college to which the district of columbia became entitled under the 23rd amendment ratified in 1961.
Additionally, under the electoral college system, electoral outcomes can undermine the popular vote. But the actual electoral college vote takes place in middecember when the electors meet in their states. Similarly, texas and florida have become more important in recent years. Giving states with smaller populations a voice is the fundamental advantage that the electoral college has over the popular vote. I waited and waited until the recent elections blew up in my face. Electoral vote vs popular vote difference and comparison. Hillary for example, the difference in popular vote was 0. A popular vote would give these few states a majority, and the president they prefer. The founders believed that most common citizens of the day were poorly educated and.
The national popular vote, explained brennan center for. There are two states, maine and nebraska, that split up the electors between the candidates. What are the differences between the popular vote vs. Losing the popular vote means securing less of the national popular vote than the person who received either a majority or a plurality of the vote. The national popular vote movement aims to institute a pure democracy by subverting the electoral college system without an amendment to the constitution. Constitution, the electoral college determines who is the u. May 10, 2019 the electoral college system, long a source of controversy, came under especially heavy criticism after the 2016 presidential election when republican donald trump lost the nationwide popular vote to democrat hillary clinton by over 2.
Over the years there have been efforts to do away with the electoral college especially after 2000, when it awarded republican george w. In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii. Trumps electoral college victory was sealed by popular vote wins in the perennial swing states of florida, iowa, and ohio, as well as in the socalled blue wall states of michigan, pennsylvania, and wisconsin. The word college in this case simply refers to an organized body of people. Mathematics of the electoral college gw blogs george. In the 2012 presidential election, mitt romney won 48% of the popular vote but only 38% of the electoral vote. The table below is a list of united states presidential elections by popular vote margin. Nov 12, 2016 hilary clinton won the popular election 47. The president is elected by electors who are elected in each state and meet in january to elect. Either way i have no desire to see the electoral college removed and a popular vote replace it. Students will view a video about the structure of the electoral college, learn about north carolinas importance in the 2016 presidential election, and participate in an electoral college simulation. Passing laws to restrict the electoral college voting could be unconstitutional. Why does the united states still use the electoral college to elect presidents instead of popular vote.
Popular vote vs electoral college ask professor puzzler. Even if the 25 smallest states are considered, iowa was the only state to switch. The larger the electoral college, the more likely it will reflect the outcome of the popular vote. Dec 14, 2016 popular voteresults of a presidential election based on how individual citizens vote. Bush, and donald trump each won the electoral vote while losing the popular vote. Columnist george will shudders to think of what would have happened in the 1960 election if there had been no electoral college. United states presidential elections in which the winner lost. How trump lost the popular vote and won the 2016 election. If the president was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. The listed reasons look like the major ones to explain why the npv originators. The electoral college system was established by article ii of the u. Electoral college voteresults of presidential election based on how representative electors vote. Unfortunately, there is now a wellfinanced, belowtheradar effort to do away with the electoral college.
This is because although americans vote directly for their chosen candidate in the presidential election every 4 years, the president is elected by the institution called the electoral college. There is an important debate on whether or not the electoral college should be reformed or even suppressed. The obvious difference between the popular vote and electoral vote is the use of electors, or representatives for each state, in the electoral college. The constitution specifies that each state is entitled to one member of the electoral college. The electoral college is how the united states selects the next president and vice. The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states. How the electoral college influences campaigns and policy. The debate over the continued use of the electoral college resurfaced during the 2016 presidential election, when donald trump lost the general election to hillary clinton by over 2. A third idea was to have the president elected by a direct popular vote. They suggest constitutional reforms to adopt a single national popular. Since the national popular vote was first recorded in 1824, there have been four presidential elections where the winner won the electoral college and lost the popular vote.
The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. President trump did not win the electoral college in 2016 because of small states. Depending on your perspective, that might sound like a change for the worse. The electoral college and the popular vote its theoretically possible that the electoral college could upend the results of the 2016 presidential election, but such an event would be unprecedented. List of united states presidential elections by popular. It is sorted to display elections by their presidential term year of election, name, margin by percentage in popular vote, popular vote, margin in popular vote by number, and the runner up in the electoral college. In 2012, it was possible to win the electoral college by winning the popular vote in as few as 10 states. The result of the election remains among the most disputed ever, although there is no question that democrat samuel j. Trump won the electoral vote 304 to 227, but clinton won the popular vote by nearly 2.
Nov 10, 2016 over the years there have been efforts to do away with the electoral college especially after 2000, when it awarded republican george w. The table below is a list of united states presidential elections by popular vote. About 53% of american are in favor of a constitutional amendment to require a popular vote, compared to 43% who agree with maintaining the electoral college, according to a survey by nbc news and. This situation has lead some to question if the electoral college system is really the best way to select a president. In the case of the 2000 election, for all house sizes less than 492, the electoral college goes to bush. Pdf should the country replace the electoral collegebased presidential. But that does not mean that candidate will win the presidency. Additionally, the winner of the 1824 presidential election, john quincy adams democraticrepublican. The electoral college forces candidates to not only to create appeal in cities, but in small towns and rural areas that are necessary to win the electoral vote. Al gore had received more popular vote than george w. But the winner of the popular vote may end up losing the election, like al gore did in 2000 and hillary clinton in 2016. The popular vote is pretty simple to understand every vote cast counts. To me a popular vote would almost exclusively favor democrats. The electoral college is a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the united states.
Its time to abolish the electoral college brookings institution. For all house sizes greater than 654, gore would have been elected president for house sizes between 492 and 654, a troubling scenario is created. These presidents won electoral college but not popular. Trump wins the electoral college vote, 18 to 16, and becomes the next president. Although the electoral college result has typically been in alignment with the national popular vote, there have been some very notable outliers. This past election was a learning experience for me because i just turned 18. United states presidential elections in which the winner. Why is the electoral college used instead of the popular vote. At that time, every voter in the country will acquire a direct vote for a group of at least 270 presidential electors supporting their choice for president. Aug 01, 2012 the other day, in discussing the virtues of the electoral college compared to national popular vote election for president, jonathan bernstein wrote that the big, urban states traditionally did. The following chart shows the five presidential elections where there was a split between the electoral college and the national popular vote or no candidate received a majority of the electoral college vote.
Over the last few decades the population has increased sharply and now california is more than 10% of the electoral college. This election result is sometimes referred to, particularly by proponents of electoral college reform, as a wrong. Why is the electoral college used instead of the popular. Voters do not directly elect the president or vice president. If you vote for barack obama, you are also voting for the electoral voters pledged to the democratic party. This election result is sometimes referred to, particularly by. In this process, the states which includes the district of columbia just for this process elect the president and vice president. Tilden of new york outpolled ohios republican rutherford b. Nov 09, 2016 the electoral college is a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the united states. Splits between the electoral college and popular vote. There have been five united states presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote including the 1824 election, which was the first u.
Clinton, for example, never got a majority in the popular vote, in both of his elections there were major spoiler candidates. View source a constitutional amendment to the voting system would require the agreement of twothirds of each house of congress and threequarters of the states, which the founders set up as. The 1876 presidential election was one of the most contentious and controversial presidential elections in american history. The electoral college is also the reflection of the federal character of the united states. The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. Popular vote better than electoral college, stanford. Apr 08, 2016 the electoral college distorts presidential campaigns, disenfranchises voters and drives partisanship, stanford scholars say. In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral. Compared to national popular vote, the electoral college.
We have updated our 2008 item on the popular vote accordingly. Splits between the electoral college and national popular vote, 18242016. This article explains the difference between the electoral vote and the popular vote, i. May 18, 2018 that was enough to turn some americans off from the electoral college forever. Constitution specifies that the president and vice president of the united states are to be chosen every four years by a small group of people currently 538 who are individually referred to as presidential electors and collectively referred to as the electoral college. The electoral college creates more of a clear winner than would a popular vote. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. Oct 23, 2016 the obvious difference between the popular vote and electoral vote is the use of electors, or representatives for each state, in the electoral college. How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 2 of this eventuality, which occurred previously in 1876, 1888, and 2000. This is only the second time since 1888 that a candidate has won the popular vote, but not the election.
The electoral college explained christina greer youtube. It clearly states that the people shall have the right to vote. The other day, in discussing the virtues of the electoral college compared to national popular vote election for president, jonathan bernstein wrote that the big, urban states traditionally did. Popular sovereigntythe idea that the government at all levels is controlled, ultimately, by the will of the people. The founding fathers created the electoral college as a compromise between electing the president via a vote in congress only or via a popular vote only. In the latter case, hillary clinton received nearly three. The founding fathers chose it as a compromise between allowing congress to choose the president and having the president elected directly by the popular vote of the people.
These presidents won electoral college but not popular vote. Three other times a candidate has won the electoral college but failed to win the popular vote. The popular vote can change the minds of the electoral college, thus, changing their vote. Popular vote better than electoral college, stanford scholars say. Nov 07, 2016 trump won the electoral vote 304 to 227, but clinton won the popular vote by nearly 2. Electoral college versus popular vote explained for 2016. Democratic principle and electoral college reform university of. The electoral college system the founders designed requires two rounds of votingone being a popular at the state level, and then another by the delegates chosen by the citizens of that state in their popular vote.
Personally i agree with you and my response is based on my understanding of how that system works. On the other hand, many support the electoral college or at least support its retention. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electorsmore than half of all electorsto win the presidential election. List of united states presidential elections by popular vote. The electoral college is how we refer to the process by which the united states elects the president, even though that term does not appear in the u.
Nov 14, 2016 a popular vote would give these few states a majority, and the president they prefer. Jan 07, 2020 columnist george will shudders to think of what would have happened in the 1960 election if there had been no electoral college. Republicans preference for the electoral college is not as overwhelming, but roughly two gop voters prefer the electoral college, 57 percent, for every one preferring the popular vote, 30 percent. May 15, 2019 about 53% of american are in favor of a constitutional amendment to require a popular vote, compared to 43% who agree with maintaining the electoral college, according to a survey by nbc news and. The potential for the electoral college to conflict with the result of the popular vote is one of the most commonly cited arguments against the electoral college. If we eliminated the electoral college, that scenario would never be repeated. Everyone has an opinion about the electoral college, and most of them are. Nov 28, 2016 trump won by threading a needle in the electoral college, carrying four large states by one percentage point or less. Nov 11, 2016 the electoral college and the popular vote its theoretically possible that the electoral college could upend the results of the 2016 presidential election, but such an event would be unprecedented. The electoral college vote is the vote that counts. Popular vote when given this assignment i had no clue what topic i might choose.
For many years the state accounted for less than 5% of the electoral college. The electoral college and popular vote explained representus. The larger the electoral college, the more likely that it will correctly reflect the popular vote. This is a pretty common, albeit contentious question among americans. It is called national popular vote or npv, and it wants to do exactly what the founders. Trump won by threading a needle in the electoral college, carrying four large states by one percentage point or less. The process was designed to create a fair playing field and was constructed with american federalism in mind.
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