Should Electoral College Be Abolished Essay

The Electoral College should be abolished because of its undemocratic system, its discrimination against voters in different states, and the subversion of its original purpose as was intended by the Framers.

Another unreasonable and unfair aspect of the Electoral College is the disproportionate voting power it gives to different states. Document D shows that Alaska, Delaware, DC, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming collectively have 44 electoral votes representing their total population of 12,500,722, even though Illinois, with a population of 12,830,632 people, only has 20 electoral votes. As George C. Edwards has proven, the way the electoral votes are divided up amongst the states “is not a neutral counting device” and “violates political equality.” The power of a vote should not depend on where the voter cast it. The fact that the Electoral College works against some voters and favors others a testament to its inability to fulfil its role as a fair voting system giving all people an equal voice in choosing

However, history has shown that electors have, more often than not, simply voted for the candidate who wins the popular vote in their state. The electors themselves are chosen by political parties, who expect them to vote with along party lines. Some states even have laws punishing electors if they don’t vote for the winner of the state they represent. As shown in Document G, the winners of the Electoral College in 1876, 1888, and 2000, Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, and George W. Bush, all went on to become president after the electors voted accordingly with their state results. The present form of the Electoral College is a complete departure from the Founding Fathers’