In 2016, Donald Trump won the US presidential election despite losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly three million votes. This result sparked nationwide debates about the Electoral College, the system that determines the winner of the US presidential election. Many Americans were left wondering why the popular vote did not determine the winner of the election. To understand this, we need to first define what the popular vote is.
The popular vote refers to the total number of votes cast in an election. In the US, it typically refers to the total number of votes cast for a presidential candidate. The candidate who receives the most votes in the popular vote is not necessarily the winner of the election, as we saw in the 2016 presidential election.
The reason for this is because of the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a group of 538 electors, who are chosen by the political parties in each state. When voters cast their ballots for president, they are actually choosing electors who will represent their state in the Electoral College. Each state is assigned a number of electors based on its population size, and the candidate who wins the majority of electors (270 or more) wins the presidential election.
This system was put in place by the founding fathers as a compromise between electing the president by popular vote and electing the president by Congress. The Electoral College was seen as a way to balance the power between large and small states, and to ensure that the president was chosen by a group of educated, informed individuals who could make the best decision for the country.
However, in recent years, there has been growing criticism of the Electoral College system. Many argue that it is outdated, undemocratic, and gives too much power to swing states. In 2019, Colorado, New Mexico, Delaware, and Oregon became the latest states to take a stand against the Electoral College and join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which is an agreement among states to award their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, regardless of who wins the popular vote in their state.
The popular vote is not a new concept in US politics. In fact, it has been a topic of debate since the early days of the country. The Whig Party was a political party formed in 1834 by opponents of President Andrew Jackson and his Jacksonian Democrats. One of their main goals was to abolish the Electoral College and replace it with a system of direct popular vote.
As we head toward the 2022 elections, it is a safe bet that few Americans can identify the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, which established the direct election of US senators by popular vote. This amendment was ratified in 1913 and it marked a significant shift towards direct democracy in the US.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Electoral College is that it can produce results that are counter to the majority of voters for no high-minded reason. For example, in the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore won the popular vote by over half a million votes, but lost the election to George W. Bush because he did not win enough electoral votes. This result was widely criticized and led to calls for reform of the Electoral College system.
Another issue with the winner-take-all system within states is that it can lead to voter suppression. In some states, voters who support the minority party in their state may feel that their vote does not matter, and may choose not to vote at all. This can lead to lower voter turnout and a less representative government.
One potential solution to these issues is a ranked-choice voting system (RCV). This is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If a candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, they are declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on the voters' second-choice preferences. This process continues until one candidate has a majority of votes.
The 2016 presidential election highlighted the importance of the popular vote. It was three weeks before the state of Michigan officially finished its voting count, and during that time, there were widespread protests and calls for a recount. The fact that the popular vote was so close (with Clinton winning the popular vote but losing the election) added to the sense of frustration and disillusionment among many Americans.
Internationally, the popular vote has been used in many countries for centuries. In countries like France, Germany, and India, the popular vote is used to elect their leaders. In Switzerland, the lower house of parliament voted in 2018 to dramatically broaden the nation's previously limited definition of rape to include any sexual act that is not consensual. This decision was made by a popular vote, with nearly two-thirds of voters supporting the change.
In conclusion, the popular vote is an important aspect of democracy. It represents the will of the people and gives every citizen a voice in the outcome of elections. While the Electoral College has been a part of US politics for over 200 years, the growing criticisms of the system suggest that it may be time for a change. Whether through the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact or a ranked-choice voting system, there are many potential solutions that could make our elections more fair, representative, and democratic. As we look towards the future, it is important to remember the lessons of the past and work towards a more perfect union for all Americans.
