The Electoral College

Over the past several years, many have repeatedly raised the subject of the electoral process for President. Why not scrap the current system of the Electoral College for a straight-up popular vote? To answer this question, consider what the Electoral College is, why we have it, and how it performs.

The Federal system

The opening statement for the Constitution of the United States says so much when it states "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union ..." The previous system was sadly lacking; what was needed was a stronger central government. Yet who wants a government that rules with tyranny from on high?

Their solution was a federal government. A federal government or federation is a bit different than what we usually think of as a government. Here in the United States, some of the rights of government are given to the federal government, but the rest stay with the states. Therefore we are not, despite what the pledge of alliance says, one nation. We are not fifty nations. We are a mix of the two.

This way, the states keep some independence; while they give the federal government those rights best handled by the group as a whole.

How to go to college

The office of the President poses difficulties for people who seek Liberty. We need an executive branch to be, well, executive, and make executive decisions. Yet such a position sounds a lot like a king.

Tackling this issue must come around sooner or later to the question of how to select the right President. How to find a President who will serve with wisdom and honor instead of tyranny from on high?

This is where the Electoral College comes in.

The process is simple:

Select electors

Each state selects a number of electors equal to the number of people it sends to Congress in Washington D.C. The object is to pick people known to be good and wise to nominate individuals to be President and Vice-President.

The County Election by George Caleb Bingham

Nominate candidates

When the electors for each state meet, they nominate a President and Vice-President; each elector nominating one for each. In this way, the nomination to the Presidency is not to be the road to self-promotion; instead, it is to be the call to duty of a patriotic citizen, much like jury duty or the need to vote.

Some who have voted in a Presidential election might wonder …. “That doesn't sound like the way I remember it? Didn't I vote for a particular candidate?”

Well …. no.

This natural misunderstanding arises from how the modern Presidential election works. Now political parties in each state select a group of electors who agree to "rig" the electoral process in favor of the party's candidate. So a vote for candidate X means a vote for the party of candidate X to get them into office.

The House of Representatives

Once all the nominations are made, each state sends their names to the House of Representatives for counting. If a particular nominated candidate receives a majority nomination, that person is called upon to be President. Otherwise, as representatives of the people, the House votes on the top names to make the final selection.

Why the college vs. popular vote?

There are a few advantages to the Electoral College system.

First, it honors each state's individuality as members of the United States in its own right.

Second, the tragic lesson of history is that governments of the people end when a slick-talking opportunist can wield popular support to give unlimited power. This is how all the Greek democracies ended.

Third, it gives smaller states a little more weight in the nomination process. Consider that California has 1.39 electoral votes per million population, and New York has 1.49. However, for the smaller states, Montana has 2.73 electoral votes per million, while Maine has 3.08. This advantage helps level the playing field so that the larger states cannot completely overwhelm the small states in the election.

Your vote

Regardless of the particulars of how elections are run, one thing remains certain. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people requires everyone to make a difference by engaging in the electoral process. This is important so that, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, " government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

On the web

How the Electoral College Works | USA election 2016

This video explains how the electoral college works some of the reasons for it.

How the Electoral College Works, and Why We Have One

A video explanation of the origin of the Electoral College.

The Origin of the Electoral College

A more in-depth video discussion of why the founders choose to elect the President using the Electoral College.

Professor makes case for the Electoral College

The title says it all.

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