The electoral college is a time worn system. Some people hate it, others defend it to their dying breath. The electoral college is no longer a good way to select our nations' leader because the power no longer rests with the people.

Through the electoral college system, we put our votes into the trust of strangers who may or may not decide to vote how they want and completely disregard our voices. Plus with all of the corruption in government as it is, it wouldn't be the most difficult thing to buy a voter off and potentially change the outcome of the election. Or the electoral college voters could end up clueless or untrustworthy, as Bradford Plumer, Source 2, paragraph 10, points out: "Can voters always control whom their electors vote for? Not always. Do voters sometimes get confused about the electors and vote for the wrong candidate? Sometimes.", proving the point that the people are not in control.

Granted there are a few small benefits to the electoral college. It usually prevents the confusion of ties inside states, and, as Source 3, paragragh 20, Richard A. Posner says, " Voters in toss-up states are more likely to pay close attention to the campaignto really listen to the competing candidatesknowing that they are going to decide the election. They are likely to be the most thoughtful voters, on average, and the most thoughtful voters should be the ones to decide the election."

The problem with the overwhelming power given to the swing states by the electoral college is that it does not represent the American idea: that no one group of people is in control, that everybody has an equal say in the matter. When a state like California votes for a candidate, that candidate immediately has an advantage from the start. And all the people in California who voted for the other candidate are not heard at all.

Corruption is, again, a major problem with most politics, including the electoral college. In 1960, segregationists nearly replaced all of the democratic electoral voters in Louisiana with voters who would instead oppose John F. Kennedy, and potentially cost him the election. But while a small group of people can be bought off and turned to vote against the majority, it is impossible to corrupt the American people. It would also cause candidates to have to pay more attention to the smaller states and the states that the candidate thinks they will win over automatically due to their current party.

The American people need the power to elect their leader back in their hands again. The electoral college was a good system years ago, but with time comes change.