Philadelphia: So, let’s chat about the Electoral College. It’s been around since 1787, and it’s still super important. It helps keep things fair and prevents the majority from running roughshod over everyone else.
Back in the day, the Framers were figuring out how to pick a president. Some thought Congress should do it, while others wanted state legislatures involved. It was a real mess, especially with the whole slavery issue complicating things.
But these guys were wary of giving too much power to one person after fighting for independence. The Electoral College was the compromise that got the Constitution ratified.
Each state gets electoral votes based on its number of Congress members. On Election Day, voters choose delegates for their candidate. The candidate with the most votes in that state gets all the electoral votes. Simple, right?
Sometimes, people want to ditch the Electoral College, especially after a tough election. But changing it would be a huge mistake. This system protects minority voices and helps keep fraud in check.
If we went with a national popular vote, candidates would only focus on big cities like New York and LA, ignoring rural areas. That would leave a lot of voices unheard.
Plus, the Electoral College keeps issues like recounts and fraud contained within states. Remember the Florida recount in 2000? It was a mess, but imagine if that happened nationwide every four years!
Even if there’s fraud in one state, it won’t affect the results in others. Take Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1948 Senate election. It was a total mess, with suspicious votes popping up days later. He won by just 87 votes, and the whole thing looked fishy.
Counting votes is tricky, and the more votes there are, the more chances for fraud. Just think about how chaotic it would be if we had LBJ-style fraud in a national election.
Some senators want to scrap the Electoral College, claiming it’s unfair. But is it really that simple? Sure, it sounds easy, but it’s not necessarily fair or safe from fraud.
In the end, the Electoral College is a vital part of our democracy, keeping things balanced and protecting everyone’s voice.
