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The argument for electing the president based upon strictly popular vote is that the president will be elected by the majority vote of the people.The argument for using the electoral college is that it will give more people an equal voice in saying who the president will be.If we do away with the electoral college, candidates will simply concentrate their campaigns in the large population centers, such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and the rest of the country will have almost no voice whatsoever in electing the president. Since all candidates will want to spend their campaign dollars in the most highly concentrated population centers, rural areas and small communities will be without significant influence on the election.

Rural areas of the U.S. have different concerns than those issues that urban America faces. If the candidates cater only to the concerns of those people in big cities, much of the citizens will be ignored.

The problem with the electoral college as it currently exists is that it is a winner-take-all proposition in most states. For instance, a candidate could win only 51% of the popular vote in California and walk away with all of California's 55 electoral votes. In contrast, another candidate could win 99% of the popular vote in Nevada and only gain 5 electoral votes.

It might be better if electoral votes were divided proportionately in all states. That way, the 49% of the citizens who voted for the losing candidate in California in the example above would not be neglected (split 28/27). If this were the case, 5 or 6 small states would be worth fighting for to counter a large state like California.

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Q: Should the selection of the President be based on popular vote in the National Election or votes in the Electoral College?
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How do you get elected to be president?

Although each state holds presidential elections every 4 years, the actual "election" is held about a month later by the "Electoral College". The results from the "General Election" are generally transferred through the Electoral College, but the "Delegates" are not required to vote as their state did. The candidate with 270 Electoral Votes becomes president. Although the state by state elections are based on "Popular Vote", the actual election is solely based on the Electoral College. I.E. 2000, Gore v. Bush (Gore won the National Popular Vote while G. W. Bush won the Electoral Vote).


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Why is the electoral college the determinant for the election of a US president?

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well with out a president our economy would go down. other no as we would have no money, we might die, other countries could land a bomb on us.


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What is the difference between a direct popular election and the electoral college?

A direct popular election is a system where the president is elected solely based on the national popular vote, with each citizen's vote given equal weight. The electoral college, on the other hand, is a system where the president is elected indirectly, with electors chosen by each state based on the state's representation in Congress. In this system, the winner of each state's popular vote typically receives all of that state's electors, and the candidate who wins the majority of electoral votes becomes the president.


Who were the members of the 2008 electoral college?

The 538 members of the 2008 Electoral College and their votes for President and Vice President are listed, state-by-state, on the National Archives web site at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2008/certificates-of-vote.html .