The use of the Electoral College in determining US presidential elections has once again been brought into question by some democrats. The movement is gaining momentum following the 2016 election, in which President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton with the electoral college votes but lost the popular vote.
The same happened in the 2000 election when President George W. Bush won the election over Al Gore, even though Gore had won the popular vote. Before 2000, a president had not won the election without gaining the majority of the popular vote since 1888. The scenario has happened 5 times in United States history.
A majority of congress along with a collective 270 electoral votes would be needed to do away with the system. Currently the National Popular Interstate Compact has support from states totaling 181 votes.
During the Weekday Wake-up Thursday morning on SVI Radio, Duke & Dahl asked listeners if they were in favor of getting rid of the electoral college or if they believe it should stay. Here are their responses.
Keep Electoral College
“Electoral college is fundamental to the idea of our country’s foundation. We are a group of individual states who banded together for our common good. We have rights as individuals and states that should supersede national laws in most cases. Letting heavily populated but small geographic areas control all elections and law making is a very bad situation for most of the country.”
“Keep it. If you live in Wyoming and want to do away the Electoral College you don’t understand the Reason our nations founders created the process.”
“It should stay.. we should go back to voting for president and the runner up gets VP.. then everyone’s is represented.”
“Absolutely necessary!!!!!!”
“I say we start a feats of strength election process and whoever survives wins…just kidding…keep the electoral college…if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
“The Electoral College is a prime example of a check and balance put in place by our founding fathers that is more relevant and needed than ever before. Without it, urban centers would control the policy in our country instead of having a balanced representation.”
“It needs to stay! Only way it’s fair!”
“Electoral college MUST stay in place.”
“The USA is a Constitutional Republic-not a democracy:let’s keep it that way. The founding fathers were brilliant.”
“The way the electoral college is set up helps reduce the affect of illegal aliens voting in the presidential election where most of them only are allowed to vote in certain states.”
“No don’t get rid of the electoral college because then the state of Wyoming will have little to no say in the election.”
“This is my story Clinton won popular vote by dead people and illegal aliens.”
“Don’t be misguided by how things are being said. EVERY vote does count. We think, because we put a mark next to the name of the person we want for president, we are voting for them. Actually our vote directs our state electors whom they should vote for. Keep the electoral college.”
“Oh man, this really gets my angry motor running with some high octane fuel. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Maybe we need to start giving he Democratic Party participation trophies after an election.”
“Keep the electoral college! This country is a republic, not a democracy!”
“I think the electoral votes should stay. I was reading an article the other day where it talked about that. If you have voter fraud you could have 10,000, you could have ten million people vote one way and the voter fraud would be protected by the Electoral College because you still only get that certain amount of votes. So, you know with these immigrants and everything coming in if they were allowed to vote and you had voter fraud it would protect against that.”
“I think we need to keep it just as it is. I won’t get into it. It’s a pretty hot topic.”
Use Popular Vote
In support of eliminating electoral college: as a non Republican in Wyoming my vote means nothing.
Other
“Lets go to one State one vote.”
