Persuasive Essay On The Electoral College

Words: 483
Pages: 2

Every year that our country has a presidential election, our nation utilizes the Electoral College to help elect our next commander in chief. On Election Day, voters head to the polls to cast their ballot for their preferred candidate. Whichever candidate wins a state’s majority of votes, that candidate receives all of that state’s electoral votes, except for special cases like Maine and Nebraska. The number of electoral votes assigned to a particular state are determined by its representation in the federal legislature: 1 vote for every senator and representative. A total of 538 electoral votes are available at the start of every election cycle, but a candidate only needs 270 to win the presidency. Over the course of history, this system has …show more content…
The Electoral College reflects this quintessential aspect of our unique style of government. The designation of voting power to each individual state as opposed to the populous, makes candidates campaign all across the country as opposed to focusing on high populated areas. This is why elections might have a candidate who receives a majority of the vote, but not the presidency. Elections under the Electoral College system reflect the wishes of a majority of states, not just a few densely populated cities. The Electoral College also complements our two-party political system. If a direct popular vote election were to take place, third parties could easily divide the electorate, leaving a candidate who could possibly be elected with well below the majority of votes. With the Electoral College and the two party system, politics remains stable and safe from radical ideologies infiltrating our government. The Electoral College also represents a hallmark of our American system of government. From our first election to our most recent, the founding fathers’ system has effectively determined our next president. At least out of respect for their efforts for our nation’s success, we should keep the Electoral College as our process for determining who leads our country. Elections are sensitive times for every nation. They represent change, which is