The Electoral College: An ‘Educated’ Discussion of its Pros and Cons

image
Author: TJ OHara
Created: 30 Dec, 2020
Updated: 15 Aug, 2022
1 min read

Chad Peace and Scott Greytak join T.J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to examine whether we should stick with the Electoral College, shift to a straight democratic vote, or entertain the consideration of something in-between.

Mr. Peace is the founder and president of IVC Media LLC and a nationally-recognized leader in election law and voter rights. Mr. Greytak is an anti-corruption attorney who is the Advocacy Director for the United States Office of Transparency International -- the oldest and largest anti-corruption coalition in the world. Together, they discuss the history of the Electoral College, the pros and cons of retaining it, and what needs to be done if changes are to be made.

Most recently in the 2000 and 2016 elections, the winner of the popular vote for President lost to the winner of the Electoral College (as is dictated by law). This has only happened three other times in history (1824, 1876, and 1888). However, it has been the topic of ongoing debate for several decades.

The challenge to the Electoral College seems to be intuitive: One person, one vote. Yet, there are issues with defaulting to a popular vote as well. Messrs. Peace and Greytak do an excellent job of explaining the nuances behind the debate.

Correspondingly, the Electoral College is embedded in the Constitution. Extracting and replacing it is a complicated process and requires the ability to meet a very high threshold. Are the arguments against the Electoral College sound enough to pass a constitutional Amendment? Are there weaknesses with using the popular vote as well? Are the parties polarized on the issue because of partisan preferences?   

Listen to Chad Peace and Scott Greytak examine the issue with T.J. O’Hara… and then, form your own opinion.

Latest articles

voters at the ballot box.
4 Principles of Change Open Primary Advocates Must Embrace
Editor's Note: This op-ed in the Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the p...
23 Dec, 2024
-
5 min read
Young person voting.
2024 Recap: Lessons Learned from the Successes and Failures of Statewide Primary Reform
In 2024, a historic number of statewide initiatives appeared on the ballot to open primary elections to all voters and candidates. Most of the initiatives failed, but reformers were successful in Washington DC. ...
19 Dec, 2024
-
2 min read
Picture of the US Capitol Building with American flags in front of it.
Declining Voter Turnout and Rising Costs Highlight Problems with Runoff Elections, New Report Finds
A new report shows that runoff elections are not only expensive, but in 2024 were less effective than in any other election in modern history at providing adequate representation. ...
17 Dec, 2024
-
2 min read