Disassemble the Electoral College
Intended to allow new parties the room to have a seat at the table, as the Electoral College has entrenched power within only two parties, neither of which represent the United States as a whole. With increases in connectivity and technology, the Electoral college is no longer necessary.
Purpose: To permanently end the Electoral College in the United States of America.
Amending the Constitution to Abolish the Electoral College:
Path 1: Congressional Proposal
Step 1: Draft a proposed amendment to the Constitution. For example:
"The President and Vice President of the United States shall be elected by the direct vote of the people of the several states and the District of Columbia. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes nationwide shall be elected to the office of President."Step 2: Gain a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Step 3: Secure ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures (38 out of 50).
Path 2: Constitutional Convention
Step 1: Secure resolutions from two-thirds of state legislatures (34 states) calling for a constitutional convention to abolish the Electoral College.
Step 2: At the convention, propose the amendment.
Step 3: Gain ratification from three-fourths of state legislatures (38 states)
Alternatives to Amending the Constitution:
National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC)
This agreement between states commits signatories to allocate their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote, regardless of the state-level outcome.
The compact takes effect only when states representing at least 270 electoral votes (the majority needed to win the presidency) join.
Currently, states representing 195 electoral votes have already joined the compact, leaving 75 electoral votes needed.
This approach does not require a constitutional amendment, making it quicker to implement.
Advocate for Proportional Allocation
Pressure individual states to allocate their electoral votes proportionally based on the popular vote within their state (like Maine and Nebraska do).
While this doesn’t eliminate the Electoral College, it reduces the “winner-takes-all” distortion.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment Draft:
Section 1: The Electoral College established in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, and the 12th Amendment, is hereby abolished.
Section 2: The President and Vice President of the United States shall be elected by the direct vote of the citizens of the several states and the District of Columbia. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes nationwide shall be elected.
Section 3: Congress shall have the power to enforce this article through appropriate legislation.
Steps to Build Momentum:
Educate the Public: Launch an awareness campaign about the Electoral College's flaws, emphasizing its potential for undemocratic outcomes (e.g., candidates losing the popular vote but winning the presidency).
Bipartisan Support: Highlight how the Electoral College can disadvantage voters in both red and blue states by creating "safe" and "swing" states.
Legislative Action: Work with reform-minded lawmakers to introduce the amendment in Congress.
State-Level Advocacy: Push for more states to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact as an interim measure.
Coalition Building:
Partner with organizations like FairVote or Common Cause that already advocate for abolishing the Electoral College.
Engage young voters and underrepresented communities disproportionately affected by its inequities.
Challenges to Anticipate
Entrenched Opposition: Smaller states benefit disproportionately from the Electoral College and may resist changes. Focus on showing how the popular vote ensures every vote counts equally.
Historical Precedent: Emphasize that the Constitution has been amended multiple times to improve democratic processes (e.g., abolishing slavery, granting women the right to vote, and reducing voting age).
Partisan Division: Frame the issue as a nonpartisan push for fairness, appealing to values of equality and majority rule.
