The Electoral College should be banned

The United States has been built as the ideal democratic society: social equality, freedom of speech, and an effective justice system. But what about freedom to vote for our presidential leader? The founding fathers prevented the common man from voting for president by creating the Electoral College and it is now obsolete. Harms Harm #1 The Electoral College is undemocratic. Bradford, Plumer, The Indefensible Electoral College, Motherjones, October 8th, 2004, http://www/motherjones.com/politics/2004/10/indefensible-electoral-college "In that case, the election would be thrown to the House3 of Representatives, where state delegations vote on the President. (The Senate would choose the vice-President). Because each state casts only one vote, the single representative from Wyoming, representing 500,000 voters, would have as much say as the fifty five representatives from California, who represent 35 million voters. Given that many voters vote one party for the President and another for Congress, the House's selection can hardly be expected to reflect the will of the people. And if an electoral tie seems unlikely, consider this: In 1968, a shift of just 41,971 votes in Ohio would have deadlocked the election; In 1976, a tie would have occurred if a mere 5,559 voters in Ohio and 3,687 voters in Hawaii had voted the other way. The election is only a few swing voters away from catastrophe." Harm #2 The Electoral College gives disproportionate voting power to states. Fair Vote, "Problems with the Electoral College", 2000-2014, http://www.fairvote.org... "The Electoral College gives disproportionate voting power to states, favoring the smaller states with more electoral votes per person. For instance, each individual vote in Wyoming counts nearly four times as much in the Electoral College as each individual vote in Texas. This is because Wyoming has three (3) electoral votes for a population of 532,668 citizens (as of 2008 Census Bureau estimates) and Texas has thirty-two (32) electoral votes for a population of almost 25 million. By dividing the population by electoral votes, we can see that Wyoming has one "elector" for every 177,556 people and Texas has one "elector" for about every 715,499. The difference between these two states of 537,943 is the largest in the Electoral College." Harm #3 The Electoral College encourages candidates to skip state. US News, Christopher Pearson, "National Popular Vote Isn"t about Red and Blue States, Novemeber 5th, 2012, http://www.usnews.com... "The 2012 election has been the worst one yet, with four out of five voters being ignored by candidates seeking the presidency. Twelve of the thirteen smallest states are on the sidelines. Here in Vermont, if you want to participate in the presidential elections, you drive to New Hampshire." Harm #4 Popular vote could lose Eric Black, 10 reasons why the Electoral College is a problem, MinnPost, 10/16/12, https://www.minnpost.com... "It creates the possibility for the loser of the popular vote to win the electoral vote. This is more than a theoretical possibility. It has happened at least four times out of the 56 presidential elections, or more than 7 percent of the time, which is not such a small percentage, and it created a hideous mess every time. The most recent occurrence was 2000. " Due to politician"s opposition and the Constitution, the Electoral College cannot be easily removed. Inherency Inherency #1 Constitution does not guarantee the right to vote for president. Richard A. Posner, In Defense of the Electoral College, Slate, 11/12/12, http://www.slate.com... The Constitution provides that "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress." And it is the electors who elect the president, not the people. When you vote for a presidential candidate you"re actually voting for a slate of electors." Inherency #2 Citizens are not aware of the election process. Citation: NBC Los Angelos, "Study: Americans Don't Know Much About History", July 17th, 2009, http://www.nbclosangeles.com... "Those who have held elected office lack civic knowledge; 43% do not know the Electoral College is a constitutionally mandated assembly that elects the president. One in five thinks it "trains those aspiring for higher office" or "was established to supervise the first televised presidential debates."" The Electoral College can only be removed by using an amendment to the Constitution that must be approved by 38 states. Plan Create an amendment to the Constitution that would use the popular vote to elect the president and vice president. Signing in an amendment to abolish the College would be a step toward a more democratic, free America. Solvency : Solvency #1 Swing states will be non-existent. Solvency #2 More Americans will vote. Zencollegelife, "The 7 Reasons Most Americans Don't Vote", 2015, http://www.zencollegelife.com... "Many Americans don't vote because they think their vote doesn't count. This is a common excuse that's rooted in the belief that the Electoral College chooses the President, not the voters." Fairvote, The Center for Voting and Democracy, "Problems with the Electoral College", http://www.fairvote.org... "Indeed, when it comes down to it, electors are ultimately free to vote for whom they personally prefer, despite the general public's desire."R39; Solvency #3 Approval rates for president will be higher due to the fact that the main population will vote for the winner. Solvency #4: Independent, third party candidates have legitimate chances to win, rather than monopolizing the election to Republicans and Democrats Banning the Electoral College in the United States would mean the extinction of indirect voting through representatives. An adoption of popular vote would usher in a purely democratic system, in which citizens choose who the citizens want, rather than the people being reduced to mere subjects of suggestions.