135–36, The present allotment of electors by state is shown in the, The number of electors allocated to each state is based on. [130] Winner-take-all systems ignore thousands of popular votes; in Democratic California there are Republican districts, in Republican Texas there are Democratic districts. Some states reasoned that the favorite presidential candidate among the people in their state would have a much better chance if all of the electors selected by their state were sure to vote the same way—a "general ticket" of electors pledged to a party candidate. It prevents instances where a party dominant in one state may dishonestly inflate the votes for a candidate and thereby affect the election outcome.

[214][215] Unlike the Bayh–Celler amendment, with its 40% threshold for election, these proposals do not require a candidate to achieve a certain percentage of votes to be elected.[216][217][218].


Committee member Gouverneur Morris explained the reasons for the change; among others, there were fears of "intrigue" if the president were chosen by a small group of men who met together regularly, as well as concerns for the independence of the president if he were elected by Congress.[22].

Gary Bugh's research of congressional debates over proposed constitutional amendments to abolish the Electoral College reveals reform opponents have often appealed to a traditional republican version of representation, whereas reform advocates have tended to reference a more democratic view. [25], The Convention approved the Committee's Electoral College proposal, with minor modifications, on September 6, 1787. Si quelques cas isolés ont été relevés au fil des décennies, ils n'ont jamais altéré le résultat final sur l'identité du locataire de la Maison Blanche. [219] Those jurisdictions joining the compact agree to eventually pledge their electors to the winner of the national popular vote.

[199] Debate on the proposal before the full House of Representatives ended on September 11, 1969[200] and was eventually passed with bipartisan support on September 18, 1969, by a vote of 339 to 70. Populous states in which pre-election poll results show no clear favorite are inundated with campaign visits, saturation television advertising, get-out-the-vote efforts by party organizers, and debates, while "four out of five" voters in the national election are "absolutely ignored", according to one assessment.

However, commentators question the legitimacy of this national popular vote. According to Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution, each state legislaturedetermines the manner by which its state's electors are chose… Section 3 of the Twentieth Amendment specifies if the House of Representatives has not chosen a president-elect in time for the inauguration (noon EST on January 20), then the vice president-elect becomes acting president until the House selects a president. The amount of the reduction is to be in keeping with the proportion of such people denied a vote. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. It was devised by the framers of the United States Constitution to provide a method of election that was feasible, desirable, and consistent with a republican form of government.

For the results of U.S. presidential elections, see the table. State legislatures that enacted the NPV would agree that their state’s electoral votes would be cast for the winner of the national popular vote—even if that person was not the winner of the state’s popular vote; language in the bill stipulated that it would not take effect until the NPV was passed by states possessing enough electoral votes to determine the winner of the presidential election.

Madison further postulated in the Federalist No.

[154], Except in closely fought swing states, voter turnout is largely insignificant due to entrenched political party domination in most states. I prefer to allow the Congress to proceed with its work without the interruption of a new proposal.

Pennsylvania had voted for the Democratic candidate in the five previous presidential elections, so some saw this as an attempt to take away Democratic electoral votes. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at least 270 electoral votes is required to win the election. They noted that James Madison believed the question of counting slaves had presented a serious challenge, but that "the substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to the fewest objections.

A republican government (i.e., representative democracy, as opposed to direct democracy) combined with the principles of federalism (with distribution of voter rights and separation of government powers), would countervail against factions.
Describing how the Electoral College was designed to work, Alexander Hamilton wrote, "A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations [decisions regarding the selection of a president]." Supporters argue that it is fundamental to American federalism, that increases the political influence of small states by the "plus two" Senate count over the number of state Representatives.