7 months ago
14
(NEXSTAR) — Did you cognize determination person been 5 U.S. Presidential Elections successful which the victor mislaid the fashionable vote? The Electoral College has voted to elite John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Benjamin Harrison successful the distant past, and George W. Bush and Donald Trump successful modern times.
Ignoring the presidents of the distant past, arsenic the governmental parties astatine those times were successful flux and differed from today's Republicans and Democrats, it's casual to spot wherefore immoderate reason the Electoral College has precocious lone benefitted Republicans.
The Electoral College has famously decided a antithetic victor successful 2 modern-day elections: the 2000 Election and the 2016 Election — some Electoral College votes favored the Republican candidates who mislaid the fashionable vote, George W. Bush and Donald Trump.
The reputational fallout of these votes — wherever the College appeared not to broadside with the volition of the American radical — has contributed to an progressively unfavorable presumption of the Electoral College implicit the past fewer decades.
Earlier this month, Democratic Vice Presidential campaigner Tim Walz adjacent called for abolishing the Electoral College, though the Harris run aboriginal said this was not portion of the authoritative platform.
"I deliberation each of america know, the Electoral College needs to go," said Walz. "We request a nationalist fashionable vote."
Recently, Pew Research recovered that 64% of Americans (over 6 successful 10) accidental they'd similar the victor of the U.S. statesmanlike elections beryllium decided by nationalist fashionable ballot only. About 35% polled favored keeping the Electoral College.
When breached isolated by governmental party, Pew Research recovered that astir Democrats (87%) accidental they'd similar the president beryllium elected by fashionable ballot only. Meanwhile, lone 46% of Republicans accidental the same. Sixty-one percent of Moderates and much wide Republicans said they'd similar lone a fashionable vote.
Despite proposals to alteration oregon abolish the Electoral College (the University of Central Florida reports determination person been implicit 1,000), determination are galore reasons wherefore these attempts failed. Firstly, arsenic UCF History Professor John Sacher explains, the Electoral College is portion of the U.S. Constitution — and amending the Constitution is analyzable and difficult.
Additionally, Sacher argues that the Electoral College is utile successful instances similar the 2000 Presidential Election. Despite Gore winning a plurality of the fashionable vote, helium didn't triumph a majority. Neither Bush nor Gore won the bulk and it fell upon the electors to decide.
Sacher explains: "We are the lone federation that inactive uses an Electoral College... Given that this treatment has already lasted good implicit 100 years, we whitethorn beryllium successful for 100 more."
