In US presidential election, electoral votes determine the winner, rather than the popular vote.
This is the case so that large states don’t end up getting to pick the winner each time, thus giving smaller states a fair voice in the process. However, a campaign against the use of electoral votes has been in the works for quite some time now.
Democrats largely kicked up a fuss in 2016 when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, yet lost the electoral vote, therefore making Donald Trump the 45th president of the United States.
Now, recent polling shows more Americans favor using the popular vote to elect presidents, rather than electoral votes, according to Washington Examiner.
What Americans Should Know
A Pew Research Center poll confirms over 60% of Americans would like to determine the next president via the popular vote. Meanwhile, just 35% said they’re supportive of the present use of the Electoral College.
In keeping with left-wing backlash against the Electoral College in 2016, Democrats and other left-wingers are more likely than Republicans and other right-wingers to support the popular vote over the Electoral College.
Among partisans who say they follow what is going on in government and public affairs “most of the time,” 85% of Democrats say they favor changing the system, compared with 24% of Republicans. https://t.co/LBCW1Vdvab pic.twitter.com/ipZxRDDrkm
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) August 8, 2022
Meanwhile, younger Americans are also less likely to favor the use of electoral votes over the popular vote when it comes to electing or reelecting a president. Older people, on the other hand, are more supportive of the Electoral College.
Since just last year alone, support for the popular vote has increased, while favor of the Electoral College has fallen.
Theories About the Poll
Differing views about the Electoral College vs. the popular vote have generated interesting conversations on social media.
Some Americans have pointed out that Republicans living in “flyover states” would have less of a say in elections if the Electoral College were abolished.
Therefore, this has been floated as a reason why more Republicans oppose using the popular vote to elect presidents.
Some supporters of the Electoral College have also pointed out the United States is a democratic republic, rather than just a democracy alone.
Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to support moving from the current Electoral College system to a popular vote system (80% vs. 42%). https://t.co/s80q8QXdk6 pic.twitter.com/udubInqFYw
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) August 5, 2022
In keeping with the nature of a democratic republic, the use of the Electoral College, rather than the popular vote, avoids a scenario of mob rule and gives people a meaningful say in who becomes president.
In 2005, there was a bill introduced to scrap the Electoral College; however, this institution remains alive and well to this day. Despite what’s appearing in polls, Americans shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for the popular vote to determine presidents in this country.
What do you think about the use of the Electoral College vs. the popular vote when it comes to electing presidents? Are you in favor of the former or the latter? You can share your thoughts about this with us in the comments area.
This article appeared in The Conservative Brief and has been published here with permission.
