The American People Agree With Democrats And Want The Electoral College Gone

A new Morning Consult/Politico poll has found that a plurality of the American people agree with Democrats and want to replace the Electoral College with the popular vote.

According to Morning Consult, “A new Morning Consult/POLITICO survey shows that a plurality of voters, 45 percent, said the Constitution should be amended to shelve the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote, compared with 40 percent who said the system should remain as is. Partisan leanings were the top factor in how registered voters viewed the process. Americans who identify with the Democratic Party were most likely to back a constitutional amendment, with almost 7 in 10 Democrats saying the popular vote should determine who takes the White House. Meanwhile, most Republicans (62 percent) said the Electoral College, which Trump won 306 to 232, should remain in place. Almost half of independents (47 percent) were in favor of replacing the Electoral College with the popular vote, compared with 32 percent who disagreed.”

The Trump campaign has argued that they still would have won a popular vote election because they would have campaigned more in heavily populated states. There is some validity to that argument for all candidates. A change to a popular vote system would change the way that candidates campaign. Heavily populated areas and regions with high partisanship would become a bigger priority over smaller cities, towns, and states.

There is a nagging feeling among many Americans that the Electoral College system is outdated and undemocratic, but getting rid of the Electoral College would require going through the difficult process of amending the Constitution.

The Electoral College may seem outdated and unrepresentative of the will of the people at times, but if the American people really want to get rid of the Electoral College, they need to elect candidates at all levels of government who are committed to the popular vote. Doing anything less will mean that the Electoral College will remain a part of US presidential elections into the distant future.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association