Does Your Vote Count With The Electoral College System?
By cchude
@cchude (1)
United States
13 responses
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
20 Oct 06
There have been elections in which one candidate carried the popular vote and yet the other candidate won because of the the electoral vote. That has never made any sense to me. The person the majority of people vote for should be the person elected.
@srhelmer (7029)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
20 Oct 06
The whole point behind the electoral college is this country's forefathers believed the general population was easily manipulated and could be persuaded with enough propaganda to elect a tyrant. And, I tend to agree with that.
The electoral college also protects the rights of all states. Under a popular election, a presidential candidate, in theory, could be elected by voters in the 9 most populous states (because more than 50% of the population lives in those states). The current system makes it possible to elect a president without winning the biggest states (though it is a little more difficult).
@srhelmer (7029)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
20 Oct 06
Actually, God was purposely separated from our government by the 1st Amendment. Again, our forefathers felt elections could be swayed and manipulated by the church and they didn't want any outside influence.
@danielb93 (115)
• United States
2 Oct 06
Well I don't think it does. I think it should be based on the popular vote. It would seem to count more then.
@srhelmer (7029)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
20 Oct 06
The church has always had influence over monarchs in Europe (which is why most were crowned by the Pope). The fact the king was trying to force people to follow his religion is the same reason our forefathers made it clear in the first Amendment that the government is not allowed to do that.
@kesfylstra (1868)
• United States
7 Nov 06
It is hard to consider each vote as counting, but if everyone said that than no one would vote, and that wouldn't work at all. But I do think the electoral college system is good for our election process, assuming states can follow set guidelines. I also think if you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain, so get out there!
@kaui_808 (191)
• United States
29 Oct 08
I know this post is really old but I's relavent.
And no, I dont think it counts, this whole popular vote and electorial vote crap. We have the techknowlogy to actually make every single vote count. We physically can count every single vote and add them all together and come up with a winner. So, why not just do it?
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
7 Nov 06
I we didn't have the electoral vote, New York City and L.A. would decide every pres. election.. and farmers, etc, and country dweller's votes truly would not count.. and of course they have different concerns than big city dwellers do.. This way politicians have to appeal to all of us..
@tentwo67 (3382)
• United States
25 Oct 06
I don't really know my response to that issue, although it is one I have thought about a lot. I know that in my own state, a very red (Republican) state, my vote doesn't go anywhere in the electoral college because the state goes overwhelmingly Republican. I vote anyway, because it feels like it matters, even if it ultimately doesn't.
@claudia413 (4280)
• United States
20 Oct 06
Don't get me started on the Electoral College. I live in Florida. I still think the popular vote should count, but the Electoral College was set up to protect smaller states and give them an equal standing with large states on votes.
@Pythonis (233)
• United States
23 Oct 06
I don't think it does, in any meaningful sense. It was a good system when most people in the country were illiterate and before the presidential debates were spread everywhere via television, but now it is patronizing and unfair. I had to change my residence to my school adress just to have a vote that might mean something, and most people don't have that option. It needs changing, but it is very ingrained, so I doubt it eill change unless there's a major uprising in public sentiment.
@soonergirl980 (261)
• United States
7 Nov 06
I fully support the electoral college. Unfortunately most people today still do not bother to educate themselves before they vote despite the overwhelming access to imformation (unlike the days of our forefathers). Besides this gives smaller states the oppertunity to be heard and be counted.
