A federal appeals court has ruled that state electors do not have to cast their ballot for the winner of the state's popular vote. NBC's Pete Williams has more details on the ruling and what this means for future elections.
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Federal Appeals Court Rules State Electors May Vote For Who They Want | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC
Can we just get a popular vote for presidential elections? Good grief. So undemocratic.
Duncan Macpherson, Here is a basic explanation of why Gore and Hillary both could not have won the popular vote with a full counting. http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/11/hillary_wins_the_popular_vote__not_.html
@ray ray that’s not true at all. Where did you get your facts? Republicans rarely win tune popular vote and it’s been 2 times in 16 elections.
@ray ray your referring to when the WINNER lost the popular vote. Not the fact that Republicans didn’t win either the electoral vote and popular vote.
@Chronic Crypto 1956 Eisenhower 1968 Nixon- 1972 Nixon- 1980 Reagan- 1984 Reagan- 1988 Bush Sr.- 2004 Bush Jr. All won the Electoral and popular vote. Republicans won 7 Democrats won 7 my mistake. Look up Presidential Elections.
How is the USA a democracy?
@LairdDougal Bluddy well-said, man!
Scottish roots or Scottish now?
Velesi: we aren’t, it’s a farce, corruption is rampant on both sides with corporations buying politicians and votes.
It isn’t.
So what’s the point of us voting if the electorals can vote for whoever they want?
@Real Talk76 Actually, the EC was designed to grant disproportionate power to the southern states, who had many more slaves than the north. This was helped by the fact that they guaranteed slaves were counted for representation, at least 3/5 of the way. Since reforms that attempted to incorporate the popular vote into the system, the system has become a vestige of the 3/5 compromise and the real perception that the common people were not able to comprehend political affairs enough to vote for the chief executive. Times have changed since 1789 and every result based on the EC win over popular vote(since reforms) turned out to be terrible presidents. It is time to abolish the system, we risk further democratic backsliding if it is preserved.
So let me say that this is the beginning to the end of the electoral college …. this is bad for republicans too because electors are selected by party vote lines …. simply put if the majority of votes are democrat the electors have no choice but to select democrat … however they get to chose who they want for the ticket out of the specific majority party. So in the end they could theoretically not select anyone
@Real Talk76 I think I said that, but thank you.
@Samo1o14 EXCELLENT POINTS! “Disproportionate power” is a great summation of what the electoral college is designed to do. Too bad you didn’t trademark that point because I’m stealing that! There’s just too many things about the system that are no longer applicable and just don’t make any sense. A governor is chosen based on the borders of the state and the President should be chosen based on the borders of the country.
@Savlo Savage Man, I hope so. My primary concern for this next election cycle is whether the elector that wrote in John Kasich instead of Hillary Clinton was a test run for what’s to come. How corruptible are they? It’s never been tested and the Supreme Court just sided with the elector and not the state that switched the vote back to Hillary.
Power was meant to be with the PEOPLE! NOT 270 individuals that can be bribed, coerced, or disloyal to the majority! We need to get rid of the electoral college!!!
@Yvonne Myers but that’s not how federalism works
@Filipe Saramago It’s how Democracy should work.
@Yvonne Myers it’s not how it works whenever youre dealing with autonomous or semi autonomous states.
Why would Wyoming be part of a union where it doesn’t have a voice? How would the concerns specific to that state be attended to? A real democratic system has to represent not just people but also territory, even if less densely populated. Those people in the cities are eating food grown in those rural places, amongst other things
@Filipe Saramago I understand that’s why the electoral college was created but it only seems right that each and every vote counts. If any state or territory has voters, they would be counted in a popular vote system. Do you really think the BS we have now is right or fair? The electoral votes are more in line with party or personal agenda than what the majority wants in MANY states already. For any proposed solution to this colossal mess, I’m sure there will be a downside of one nature or another. I feel changes MUST be made to get meddling of ALL sorts (interior or exterior) stopped. If any genius has a workable solution, they should get the idea to the masses and push for it. . . maybe even run for potus.
@Yvonne Myers it’s actually very easy, just make the electoral college vote proportionally instead of winner takes all
You mean we have to depend on our electors to actually have integrity?? I think we’re doomed…
Call your state representatives and get this bill passed. Here’s the URL:
https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/
@Cocoa Liveson Unfortunately, if this court case is upheld by SCOTUS, there is little that compact can do. Electors can still be bribed to go against the national popular vote. The constitution *must* be amended to *completely* abolish the electoral college.
If they can do that, why even bother having the general population vote in the first place? You have to have the results of the election count (every vote equally), anything else is undemocratic. Having the electors vote how they want is even worse than the system now.
It is the way the Founding Fathers intended it. The electors have the ability to reject those who are unfit for office (Trump)
@ExPFC Wintergreen v2.0
Doesn’t change the undemocratic nature of a system that’s 250 years old. At some point the issues that have become apparent over time need to be fixed, after all, that’s why amendments exist.
@ExPFC Wintergreen v2.0 No, it is not the way the Founding Fathers intended it. If that were accurate, Trump would not have been elected.
@ExPFC Wintergreen v2.0 Exactly. The Electoral College singularly failed to do the thing it was supposed to do, which was keep out unfit doofuses. We need to do away with this broken institution. If people are afraid this will mean that the urban/coasts will dominate the rural/center, then they need to get creative and come up with some way to balance things out, but the EC is way past its ‘use by’ date.
we dont need electors to vote for us. their services are no longer needed.
@UC48Q3eUDqRtysQlPc1cAp0Q Every democrat has plans that go against the Constitution and God himself so it depends on which side your on. If Trump is going against the 1st and 2nd Amendment you’re welcome to explain that one because that is the issue going to be fought over.
@David M actually it was Trump who banded bump stocks and is going after suppressors next
@Robie Robertson I know this. A law abiding citizen shouldn’t have a problem with it. Just like a law abiding citizen shouldn’t need to hide their face like Antifa.
@David M what are you saying your antifa because you’re hiding your face now. Lol. Don’t be scared.. Trump will be going after AR-15 next
@Robie Robertson Omg you Are confused
trump cartel wants to know how much money it will cost for him to win, vladdy just asking
He mentiomed doing it in the debates with Clinton.
Globalist Soros donates billions to open border democrats and republicans
Send all your money to Tom Perez and the DNC. Ask Bernie Sanders how that worked out last election cycle when Debbie Wasserman Schultz gave his donations to Hillary Clinton
@The Punisher Sanders was the spoiler in the 2016 election, and everyone knows it! Hopefully, he will drop out sooner this time.
So now the Electoral College can be bought
This is the system the Founding Fathers intended, all the restrictive laws saying Electors had to follow the popular vote were passed at a state level
@ExPFC Wintergreen v2.0 so what? This is still ridiculous even if they intended it that way
yes they can rig the electoral college like they do Gerry mandering districts
Putin already bought it!!!
In Australia, we aren’t registered as a particular political party supporter. Conservative? Liberal? It doesn’t matter, the government has NO RECORD of who they vote for.
By definition that is true for all democratic countries, can’t have free votes otherwise. In places like, China, Russia, USA or Iran people may vote, but that doesn’t make those places a democracy. Its not the voting that counts but the political system around it!
So before you start dancing, realize your electors will now be up for sale to the highest bidder. Which will be Vladimir Putin.
Radwulf Eboraci , id be more concerned about Antifa Death Squads hunting them down
@Beachdudeca You guys are just sad.
@Beachdudeca Yeah, we know you would buddy.
Bribes all the way around.
We the people my @$$.
‘Murica . ..you done screwed up again, boy…
😉
Our country is a becoming a bigger joke every day. What a big mess of corruption.
Is there a better system of govt in the world? A better country?
Again, the electoral college disenfranchises voters and should be unconstitutional. It’s a pointless and corruptible system.
@Real Talk76 the point is that no state can have less than 3 electoral votes even if their population would not warrant that many. That’s exactly what keeps any state from simply having no voice
@Filipe Saramago I actually didn’t know that there was a minimum, that’s interesting. But the founders didn’t trust the people and I don’t trust the electors or the system that was created. States don’t vote, the people do! The power of the state is not derived from it’s borders, it comes from the people within it. States are not in danger of losing their voice because they will always have a voice in Congress. You are worried about under representation but the true concern is that states are over represented. The tail is wagging the dog and the system is being manipulated to root out the true will and voice of the people. The only border that matters when it comes to the executive branch is the outer border because we are one nation so we should vote as one.
@Real Talk76 so you are against federalism after all 😉
@Filipe Saramago No, just have a different perspective on what it means. Federalism is achieved through the structure of Congress and separation of powers. The electoral college allows states to defy the will of their constituents and disenfranchise the smaller voting block. What you’re talking about is not federalism, it’s confederation.
@Real Talk76 the separation of powers has nothing to do with federalism. Does the “Russian Federation” have much in the way of separation of powers in practise?
Do away with the electoral college. It’s antiquated and unnecessary.
America isn’t run on opinions
It is the only way they can rig elections with only 35% support. That and all the Russian help
*END THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE:* _Vote ALL republicans out of ALL political offices mercilessly and without remorse._ THEN AMEND THE CONSTITUTION!
This needs to happen in every state, it is the only way we can amend the constitution. If enough states are flipped, we can bypass congress by having the states call a constitutional convention. We all know the Republican Senators won’t change a thing, except make a system more undemocratic.
@Samo1o14 Make the GOP extinct or life on earth will go extinct. We have very little time left.
Democracy: One person, One vote. Majority = 50% + 1. Majority RULES. End the electoral college.
So you’re for abolishing federalism? One person one vote in matters that involve more than one state means the end of federalism
I thought this was a government for the people by the people! Why are a few allowed to decide, maybe time to do away with this!
This means Trump/putin dont have to buy millions of votes, only 270 shady guys.