Everyone Gets an Equal Vote

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With the unfortunate defeat of recent federal voting rights legislation, it makes sense to return to the idea of what democracy should be. Democracy (as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary) is “the belief in freedom and equality between people, or a system of government based on this belief, in which power is either held by elected representatives or directly by the people themselves.” We should remember this ideal and abolish the electoral college.

Do you believe in democracy? Do you believe that all people in the USA are equal? Do you believe that any person, of voting age and who abides by all applicable laws, should be allowed to vote? Do you believe that the current system is designed to give equal access to all potential members of the voting public? If so, do you believe that every vote should count equally? If you answer yes to all of these questions, then it is time to abolish the electoral college. 

The electoral college is a relic of the past, that distorts the true ideal of democracy. It gives extra weight to citizens voting in certain states for no reason other than to distort the will of the majority. Why should some citizens get an extra say in the presidency based arbitrarily on where they live? Does this make sense? Does this follow the above logic that all people are equal and that all members of the public who are able to vote, have equal access to the ballot, and an equal say in their government?

California gets 55 electoral votes, but Alabama only gets 9! Does that seem fair to everyone living in Alabama? It doesn’t, does it? Why should you have less votes in the electoral college? Yet, there is a very clear, easy, and fair solution to this problem. Abolish the electoral college. Make every vote count equally, regardless of where it is cast. Make sure your vote in Alabama is no longer any different than somebody’s vote in California. Demand that both votes be given the same, equal weight, and then the Presidential election becomes a simple numbers game that makes sense to everyone. The person who get the most votes, wins. It really isn’t a radical idea to demand that the President of a democratic government be actually elected by the majority of its people. 

The real question for people defending the electoral college, is why do you need such a complex system, for something so simple? What are you trying to hide? Any argument regarding small states/less populous states needing more representation, does not make sense in a Presidential election. The President represents the entire country, not one or two states. All people, regardless of where they live, should have faith that their voice counts equally in a presidential election. The smaller/less populous states have the mechanics of the two houses of Congress to maintain their influence, which makes sense for protecting state’s rights, but the Presidency is a federal position that maintains influence over the entire country. It should be based solely on the fairness of each individual vote, regardless of location.

If you believe in democracy, equality, freedom for every person to express themselves with an equal say in the government, then it is high time to abolish the electoral college. It is not fair, equal, or just. It is an antiquated institution that only works to undermine the democratic foundations of this country.