PDA

View Full Version : Electoral College Vs Popular Vote



fanofdave
11-02-2004, 10:10 AM
Lets keep it simple: Which would you prefer?

knuckleboner
11-02-2004, 02:42 PM
popular vote.

the electoral college tries to ensure that candidates don't ignore the small states. but it also means they're much more likely to ignore the non-battleground states.

i'd rather a republican candidate campaign in vermont, knowing that the extra 10,000 votes he gains because of it is still important.

WACF
11-02-2004, 03:15 PM
How does the electoral College work?

I know it is not a college...

The little I have read does not help...I just don't get it.
I can not understand how the guy with the most votes can lose.

Remember...I am Canadian...here we vote for our member of parliment in our constituant.
The party with the most seats won wins the election.

Switch84
11-02-2004, 03:16 PM
;) :D Electoral college. Have you seen some of the yahoos in the so-called 'little' states? I don't want the "Jerry Springer" crowd electing our President.


LMMFAOBT

Nickdfresh
11-02-2004, 03:27 PM
Down with the Electoral College---->Up with participatory democracy! The popular vote must be the law of the land!

knuckleboner
11-02-2004, 04:18 PM
Originally posted by WACF
How does the electoral College work?



a U.S. president is only elected president if he has more than half of all "electoral votes."

each of the 51 states (including Washington, D.C.) has an electoral vote total equal to the total number of federal representatives they have. meaning that, if virginia has 11 members of the house and 2 senators, we have 13 electoral votes.

members of the house are apportioned by population. each state has 2 senators, regardless of population. that means that at a minimum, a state has 3 electoral votes. like montana. but populous states, like california and new york have many more electoral votes.

there are 538 total electoral votes. (which equals the 435 U.S. house members + the 100 senators + D.C.'s 3 electoral votes). to win the presidancy, a candidate must have 270 electoral votes or more. (270 being just over 1/2 of all the electoral votes).


technically, the popular vote in each state determines how that state casts its electoral votes. if bush wins virginia, the 13 "electors" will vote for bush.

except for 2 states, all others give all of their electoral votes to the person who won that state, regardless of the margin of victory.

that's why it's possible to win the electoral college, but lose the popular vote. it means you probably just barely won your states, while you probably lost by a much greater margin in your opponents' states.


(and oh yeah, there's something about us stealing and then destroying hockey in there somewhere...;))

WACF
11-02-2004, 05:05 PM
Thanks.

Hockey shall rise again...

BigBadBrian
11-02-2004, 05:10 PM
Both have their merits.

One ensures the little states have their say and that candidates can't concentrate solely on large urban population centers, particularly in campaign entitlements.

The other ensures a more fair distribution in campaigning in general.

:gulp:

Dr. Love
11-02-2004, 05:11 PM
I think I prefer the current system.

knuckleboner
11-02-2004, 05:17 PM
Originally posted by WACF

Hockey shall rise again...

i hope so..., but like with election challenges, i'm not holding my breath until we get the results...

Nickdfresh
11-02-2004, 05:52 PM
Originally posted by Switch84
;) :D Electoral college. Have you seen some of the yahoos in the so-called 'little' states? I don't want the "Jerry Springer" crowd electing our President.


LMMFAOBT

Don't take this as a personal insult. Because it's really not. But some would say only college educated people should be allowed to vote. Are you college educated Switch?

Nickdfresh
11-02-2004, 05:54 PM
Originally posted by WACF
Thanks.

Hockey shall rise again...

God I hope so:confused: :spank:

tobinentinc
11-02-2004, 10:06 PM
With a popular vote, a cannidate could buy the voters in calif, pa, ny, ect and ignore basically everyother state. That is why the made the electorial college with the formation of this government.