The electoral college has come too far. It is old, a disaster factor, unfair, and very irrational. Many of the arguments made to support the Electoral College are based on mostly assertions and not much on reality. (The Indefensible Electoral College: Why even the best-laid defenses of the system are wrong by Bradford Plumer, paragraphs 9,10,11, and14.)

Under the electoral college system, us voters do not actually vote for the president. We vote for a slate of electors who then vote for the president. Although we do have a say in who votes for our president, most people prefer a more direct approach. In some cases, one being Al Gore's, the candidate can win the popularity vote, but only to lose it all in the electral college vote. If the candidate wins the majority vote, that clearly means many people want them in office. Which brings me back to the original point. Why have the electoral college vote for someone else when the masses are making it very clear who they prefer in office.

One of the best, consistent arguments made against the electoral college is something we might call the disaster factor. The 2000 election fiasco could have been much worst considering the type of system we have. The state legislatures are the ones responsible for picking electors, who can ,at any moment, go against the will of the people. Electors have even refused to vote for their party's candidate and vote for whomever they deem acceptable.

One of the riskiest situations that come with the electoral college are ties. When there is a tie, the case is taken over to the House of Representatives, where the each state delegation will vote for the president. Each state casts only one vote, which means one representative from Wyoming is representing 500,000 voter. This would have as much say as the 55 representatives from California, who represent 35 million voters. One person can choose the destiny of all those voters who don't get much of a say. Electoral ties are not as unlikely as they seem. In 1976, for example. a tie would have occurred if only 5,559 voters in Ohio and 3,687 voters in Hawaii had voted for the opposite party.

When you boil it down, the electoral college is downright unfair to voters. It is unfair, outdated, and in needs of improvement. We live in a country where everyone should have a voice, not just one person representing the voices of everyone. This is why we should rid of the electoral college. Voters know what they want and shouldn't have to rely on other people, who can swing their vote at any time, to make the decision which they consider right.