Essay: Exploring the Pros/Cons of the US Electoral College



Jose Sanchez

September 10, 2017

ENG 106

Dr. Andrews

The Electoral College is a process which was established by the founding fathers to elect the president of the United States. The Electoral College has electors that are selected by states to vote for the president and vice president. There are currently 538 electoral votes in which an individual must attain 270 votes to become the president. The candidate that reaches 270 electoral votes becomes the president-elect and is officially sworn into office the following year on January 20th. The candidates running for president has his/her own group of electors. A presidential election is held every four years in November. The political climate in the United States of America has become increasingly polarized in the recent years, kindling riots, protests and a disbelief in the voting system: the Electoral College. The Electoral College has been the only voting system in the United States since 1787. The Electoral College has been critically scrutinized in its function, critics argue for the removal, tweak or perseverance of this political system.

The Electoral College according to the author has sparked various doubts in the voting system. This last election perhaps is the most provocative in decades. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the presidential nominee's fight to win the Electoral College. Last year November 8th, 2016, the American public voted for the President of the United States: Donald Trump. The author expresses his internal conflict as he states the Electoral College was won by Donald Trump but the popular vote was won by Hillary Clinton. This is the fourth time in history says the author that this has happened thus indicating a major flaw in the way the American public vote for their president. Numerous Americans express distinct points of view on the functionality of  Electoral College. For instance, there are citizens that accept the flaw and believe in a solution for the Electoral College, some Americans that disregard the flaw or completely oppose the structure and function if the Electoral College.

The inevitable flaws of the standard American voting system: the Electoral College, has empowered an American author to defy the purpose of this anachronistic political system in the US constitution. The Electoral College the author argues was originally designed for white, elite and respected men to elect the president of the United States. Thus, the Electoral College prevented minorities and slaves from having a voice in their country. Similarly, only American citizens are allowed to vote, leaving undocumented minorities pleading for mercy. Moreover, the author presents the idea that defenders of the Electoral College argue its purpose was to empower the smaller states and represent the popular vote. However, in the 21st century, electors have the option to follow the will of the voters. This act of rogue has left the American public doubtful about the democracy in their country thus correlating to an un-useful and weak voting system. Consequently, many states have signed petitions to remove the Electoral College after the most controversial election last year.  The author expresses his discontent with the American voting system because he feels as though the American public has not been accurately represented in a country in which their voice matters, they are directly representing their beliefs in the country of the free. On the contrary, some Americans perceive the Electoral College as an opportunity for improvement, a second chance at reforming the Electoral College.

The Electoral College seems to be an area in which politicians can reform the Electoral College to fit the American public's expectations of one person one vote ratio in our voting system. Cleta Mitchell, an advocate for the Electoral College reform believes the system has room for improvement if the American public is willing to fight for their voice in their country. Mitchell believes the original of the farmers of the constitution was to create a democracy that digressed from central powers into different parts of government that with distinct enumerated powers to suppress the creation of a central government in the land of the free. Additionally, the Electoral College was created in such a way that different states allocated more or less electoral votes based on their population, but the states retained the right to allocate their votes as they wished (Mitchell). The distribution of votes on the national level and state level have various flaws in which some politicians can pick their voters to benefit their political party also known as gerrymandering. Although the Electoral College has various flaws the author presents the idea that if the Electoral College was to be removed, the American public would abandon its only check against tyranny. Moreover, Mitchell expresses that the Electoral College has correlated to a close-minded American political system in which we only focus on two parties: democratic and republican. The polarization of political ideologies has correlated to the creation of swing states. Last year, there were eleven designated swing states in which five were either for Trump or Clinton. Mitchell believes the states should emulate states such as Iowa and Wyoming in which they utilize the winner takes all technique to declare the state democratic or republican, this is a more sensible form of voting says the author because it allows for every resident of that state to be represented as a one person one vote. For instance, Texas houses one of the most democratic cities: Austin, Houston, and Dallas. These democratic cities produce enough votes to switch the political affiliation of the whole state. By doing this the author believes we can yet again employ another way of check against tyranny in large urban areas. Mitchell states with full certainty that “the Electoral College is a brilliant gift from our Founding Fathers that can be fair by tweaking the allocation, rather than abolishing it altogether”(Pg 2). Alternatively, some Americans beg to differ the negative remarks against the Electoral College thus advocating for the perseverance of the Electoral College.

Americans like Joe Freeh, Charles P. Kelly, Thelma Graham and Jeanette Atwood whom believe the Electoral College should remain the same. Joe recognizes the Electoral College has flaws but he resigns to the idea that the Electoral College is the only hope for Americans; it is the only way to prevent certain states from monopolizing elections while providing small states represented compared to densely populated areas. Kelly expresses his resignation by alluding to a country of endless hope and insufficient reform, in which he accepts the ignorance of the American public. Moreover, Kelly from Oklahoma City, believes the Electoral College is the only political system preventing the creation of a tyranny of the majority; the Electoral College ensures the state is wholly represented not just urban voters. Kelly emphasizes fear in a country who does not listen to its people and if keeping the Electoral College prevents a tyranny, he approves to keep the Electoral College.

Compare and contrast paragraph is missing

To conclude, the American public is divided into three categories: citizens that accept the flaw and believe in a solution for the Electoral College flaw and some Americans that disregard the flaw or completely oppose the structure and function if the Electoral College. Although the Electoral College’s flaws are evident, the American public is divided in terms of remediating the flaws of our current voting system.

Citation-

“Electoral College has outlived usefulness, if it had any.”  Sign In, Tribune Content Agency, 4 Jan. 2017, www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/delivery/PrintDoc.do?fromCar…6994789%2Fformatted_doc&fromCart=false&jobHandle=2827%3A616994789. Accessed 3 Sept. 2017

Mason, Robert. “The system: how the Electoral College works.” LexisNexis® Academic: Sign In, The Sunday Herald, 12 Nov. 2005. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017.

Hanna, Colin. “Commentary: A modest tweak to reform the Electoral College.” LexisNexis® Academic: Sign In, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 21 Nov. 2016. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017.

Fresh, Joe, et al. “Electoral College should stay.” LexisNexis® Academic: Sign Ins, The Oklahoman, 5 July 2008. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017.