Does the electoral college accurately represent America’s choice? Or does the electoral college protect American citizens? During our recent election, the electoral college was heavily debated, as it was ultimately the deciding factor despite the popular vote for Hillary Clinton. This article will discuss the pros and cons of the electoral college and what it means for future elections in America.

Firstly, the electoral college is a process in which 538 electors, selected in each state based on their census, vote for president. Two-hundred and seventy of these votes are needed for a candidate to become president. Although electors traditionally respect the popular vote of their state, they are allowed to vote whichever way they decide. In the case of the 2016 election, electors ended up voting against the popular vote.

Arguments against the electoral college include the disproportionate allotment of electors. States are unequally represented. For example, Wyoming has three electoral votes for only 586,107 residents. California has fifty-five electoral votes for over 39 million residents. If you do the math, you see that a Wyoming resident’s vote is worth 3.6 times more than a Californian’s.

Arguments for the electoral college include the ease in determining a clear winner. Because there are significantly less votes then the popular vote, it is easier to count them. Then there is also the argument that the electoral college represents minority groups. Because candidates tend to focus on significant issues, electors must represent minority issues that candidates ignore.

Although there are convincing arguments are on both sides, the electoral college needs reform in order for it to accurately mirror the American public. The lack of legal binding of electors creates a discord between voters and electors. The votes are also not evenly distributed across the nation. Ways to reform these matters include passing legislation that mandates electoral votes go to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.

Eventually, there will be a robust call for change to this process, as it is controversial topic and ultimately does not accurately mirror the American people.

Further reading:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/17/the-electoral-college-badly-distorts-the-vote-and-its-going-to-get-worse/?utm_term=.3712e5f54d0a
http://people.howstuffworks.com/electoral-college5.htm
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article131880894.html
https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/allocation.html
https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html
http://sciencebuzz.org/topics/electoral-college-math/arguments-in-favor