You may think you are voting for president when you pull that lever. As many of you know, you are really voting for your state electors.
The Electoral College is a hybrid sort , combining 2 votes per state plus the number of representatives that state has.
For example : Wyoming casts 3 electoral votes ( 2 senators + 1 representative ). A population of about 170,000 elects one elector.
California casts 55 electoral votes ( 2 senators + 53 representatives ), about 650,000 population per elector.
As you can easily see, a Wyoming vote is worth about 4 California votes.
Just to muddy up the waters, in each state it is winner take all. For example, in California which we expect to go Democratic, all 55 electoral votes will go to the Democrats, even though the Republicans may have garnered 48% of the vote.
This peculiar system will likely be with us forever. The smaller states control the Senate and are not likely to permit a change.
Here is the strangest part. If you are a Republican in a predominently Democratic state,
it really doesn't matter whether you vote Republican for president or withhold your vote or even vote Democtatic ! The winner take all system has disenfranchised the minority party.
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. Go Figure ! ( End of Civics 101 )
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4 comments:
My only serious gripe is with the winner take all policy. it tends to, as you aptly put it, discourage minority voting, AND, it also discourages diversity. Our lovely 2 party system is underpinned by this flawed system.
But as you again pointed out, why would the powers that be change a system that guarantees they stay in power?
Dear Rummy,
Excellent, your Civics 101! I would point out that a democrat in a republican state faces the same fate as a republican in a democratic one.
When you get right down to it, the system sucks. “Government of the people, by the people and for the people…” What happened? So dear professor, did our founding fathers conceive of this convoluted system or was it concocted by some diabolical Republican? Even “of the people” is hollow rather than hallow as only millionaires need apply. And as your 101 demonstrates, “by the people” is no more than a noble thought. And we’re left with “for the people” where today we must be talking of the much-touted “moral majority.” Moral I question, bible thumpers the lot, majority sadly is so far true – all loyal Bushies!
Abrazos,
El Ruco
Well, Tom, even though we're on different sides of the aisle, so to speak, I think we really want the same thing. It's why I keep hoping someone will run for governor under the platform of seceding from the union! Maybe I'll try that in the next election!
Well Christine, the South tried that 140+ years ago. Honest Abe threw the constitution out the window and violated the most fundamental of states rights and plunged us into the horrible civil war. I don't think we better try that again.
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