Popular vote vs. Electoral College: Which is better?

Martin (Electoral College)

Depending on where one lies on the political spectrum, one may support either the popular or the electoral vote. But in hindsight, the Electoral College is better for several reasons.

Electoral vote proponents argue that it safeguards the smaller states' voting rights and the tenets of American Federalism. If only the popular vote counted, political parties would invest their energies in more populated cities like Chicago, LA, and New York while neglecting smaller cities and states. No political party can commit overarching fraud in one state to dramatically alter an election. The Electoral College localizes state-level problems, such as election fraud, to limit its overall impact on the outcome of an election.  

In addition, the Electoral College gives US elections credence by offering a clear ending. It reduces the calls for recounts or run-off elections and certifies election results as free and fair. To win, the candidate must amass voters' support in several regions.

The Electoral College also gives voice to smaller states in the US and is a natural outgrowth of state influence in Congress, which passes laws and serves as a natural check on the executive branch. This means the number of representatives each state gets in Congress isn't necessarily proportional to their citizenry.

Lastly, the Electoral College still recognizes high-population states such as New York, California, and Texas, giving them more votes than smaller ones. For instance, California has 55 votes, New York has 29, and Texas has 38.

The Electoral Vote epitomizes democracy and the spirit of the US constitution.

Chad (Popular Vote)

The Electoral College is an outdated system that made sense when the country was small and largely illiterate but does not make sense in a large democracy like our country today. Many argue that it may even have racist origins that continue to disempower minorities. 

Because of the Electoral College, we see presidents chosen who get support from less than half of the country, which is not democratic. Democracy implies rule by the majority, not the minority.  

The Electoral College gives an undo amount of weight to rural areas. This means that millions of people in a city are given the same representation and government as a handful in the countryside. This could be justified if districts were fair, but often they are not. 

The Electoral College allows politicians to create loopholes and use other tricks like redistricting and gerrymandering to sway the vote towards the minority group to get power. These acts disenfranchise many voters and make people feel like their voices are not heard. 

Our system of democracy under the Electoral College is designed to take power away from the people. A true democracy would be based on the fundamental principle of one person, one vote. This was the ideal of the original Western democratic model of government started by the ancient Greeks.  

In our country today, we often see those in power ignore the will of the people because they are comfortable knowing they have the system rigged. If we genuinely want our voices heard, we must reform the system and adopt the popular vote to replace the Electoral College.