Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently called for the elimination of the Electoral College during a fundraiser in California, where he remarked that he believes the system needs to go and that a national popular vote is necessary. This move has been advocated for by some Democrats in the past, following election defeats. In 2023, Walz signed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would allocate all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote for president, if supporters secure pledges from states with at least 270 electoral votes.
The Electoral College is made up of electors from each state who cast votes for the president and vice president. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., the candidate who receives the most votes is awarded all the electoral votes for that state, while Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system. The winner of the presidential election needs 270 electoral votes. The Electoral College was created by the Founding Fathers to prevent large states from dominating small ones in elections, and abolishing it would require a major constitutional change.
Many Democrats have called for the elimination of the Electoral College in favor of a popular vote, citing examples such as Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote in 2016 but losing the electoral vote to Donald Trump, as well as George W. Bush losing the popular vote in 2000 but winning the electoral vote. However, many Republicans oppose abolishing the Electoral College, arguing that it would give larger states too much influence and cause candidates to focus only on a few states during campaigns. In 2012 and 2018, Trump expressed support for a popular vote, calling the electoral system a “disaster for democracy” and stating that a popular vote would be easier to win.
A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 63% of Americans favor doing away with the Electoral College, indicating that there is widespread support for a popular vote system. The debate over the Electoral College has been ongoing for years, with arguments on both sides about its merits and drawbacks. Overall, the issue remains divisive, with Democrats and Republicans having differing opinions on whether the system should be eliminated in favor of a popular vote. As the discussion continues, it is unclear what the future holds for the Electoral College and whether any significant changes will be made to the current election process.
