By Kim Smith
The Electoral College Is Still As Important Today As Over 200 Years Ago
An election isn't just a matter of how many vote. It's a matter of a nation, in its entirety, and its varied needs. This is reflected in at least three major ways: in our Flag representing all 50 states, not just a few; in our historical patriotic music and lyrics – "amber waves of grain", "purple mountains majesty", "fruited plains", "prairies", "oceans white with foam", "rivers", "mystic canyons". And woven throughout are concepts of courage, freedom and liberty. We are diverse in so many ways, and each state is similar and unique in its own right.
The third is the concept of "factions" – which the Founders recognized immediate – from experience and knowledge – could well lead to tyranny of the majority as both James Madison and DeTocqueville eloquently observed. We should recognize that in the first years of our nation's existence, political parties did not exist. Our current experience alone here in Virginia demonstrates when a faction of government imposes, rather than represents in a balanced and considered manner.
So now we have the "National Popular Vote Initiative".
The National Popular Vote initiative, a so-called effort to allegedly infuse "fairness" into the process of electing the President and Vice President, is wending its way through the various state legislatures. This is in response to the fact that in the 2016 election, the challenger received more popular votes (48%) than President Trump. Come hell or high water, the Ds are determined to reverse that election and garner and maintain power into the forceable future.
Historically, the Electoral College is part and parcel of the system of Checks and Balances developed by our Founders to avoid the known pitfalls of a pure democracy – to avoid the possibility (probability?) that a 51% majority could run roughshod over the 49% minority. In the late 1700's and early 1800's, there weren't political parties (factions if ever there was an example), there was limited communication, only 4 million people in the colonies, and the settled territory wasn't very large. With no other nation in the world having direct election of its leaders, and with bad experience under King George III, and with profound knowledge of history and philosophy, the Founders' goal was to avoid both tyranny and "pure" democracy.
A Committee of Eleven was chosen to devise a system where neither Congress nor the electorate directly elected the President. Rather, Electors would be chosen based on Senate and Congressional representation (determined by the census), and states would determine how the electors were selected/elected. Without going into lots of detail, this lasted through four Presidential elections. Then it was back to the drawing board.
The result of the second attempt is the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution, which establishes how the procedure works. To secure the support of the States, all states were given a voice in the final determination of our President and Vice President under a formula based on the number of reps in Congress and the Senate. Small states were assured a voice.
The call for a National Popular Vote only would effectively render almost null and void the voice of many of the states. To win the election, the President and Vice President need 270 electors (out of the 538) – and to implement the initiative, states with a combined total of 270 would theoretically have to sign on.
Let's see. California currently has 55 votes, New York 31, Illinois 21, in-danger-of-turning-blue Texas 34. Right there, we're almost half-way to the total required – which would mean precious few states would control this nation. In reality, the signatories as of March were CA, 55; WA, 11; CO, 9; IL, 21; MD, 10; NJ, 15; CT, 7; MA, 12; NY 31 – or 67%.
By including all states, the Founders wanted national leaders to be selected by not only the majority of the people but also reflective of the needs of all the States. This is where understanding of the needs that differ among the states and consideration of policy plans to help them is critical. I haven't noticed many cattle drives in LA or Manhattan or fields of corn and wheat there either. Candidates should pay attention to ALL states, not just the few with large populations.
We don't need to be disenfranchised! We don't need to have our needs ignored. We do need to be at the tables when policies that would affect us are being considered. Sadly, Virginia is now one of the states considering this horrendous change in the manner in which we elect our top national leaders.
Hopefully, we will all follow developments on this issue and LET OUR REPRESENTATIVES KNOW HOW WE FEEL. Rights are being chipped away now by leaps and bounds. We must stay vigilant and engaged if we don't want to lose what we've had for 228 years – our liberty and freedom, our rights!
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