The Electoral College (EC) is a uniquely American voting system that’s been around for as long as the Constitution. However, its credibility in representing the American population has been questioned for decades.
“I think the current electoral college [system] doesn’t accurately represent people’s votes,” said senior Sarah Beatty.
Under this winner-takes-all system, each state is allotted a certain number of electors based on their population. The winning party from each state gets to appoint all their state’s electors, which discounts the interests of their minority party voters.
“There is a lot of opposition to the current EC system because it makes people feel that their vote doesn’t count, which has led to a lot of voter apathy and low voter turnout,” said AP U.S. Government teacher Jennifer Mechling. “Only about 2/3 of American voters vote in presidential elections.”
The unequal weight of votes, depending on state and party, is only one argument against the EC. Other criticisms include how almost half of the electors are not required to represent their states’ votes (though they mostly do) and how the presidency can be won without a majority of the popular vote.
“I don’t like [the EC]. It’s not representative of the general public,” said senior Savannah Welge. “In order to be in the electoral college, you just have to know people, [like in a spoils system].”
According to the Congressional Research Service, there have been at least 752 proposals to change the EC system between 1789 and 2017. In recent years, a continuous and pending reform effort called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) has garnered national attention.
“The biggest impact – and the purpose – of [the NPVIC] would be that the candidate who wins the popular vote will ALWAYS become the president,” said Mechling.
First introduced in 2006, the compact has been adopted by sixteen states and the District of Columbia. While it does not abolish the Electoral College, it stipulates that the states will agree to award their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote.
“I think getting rid of [the EC] would be the best option,” said Beatty. “But since it’s so difficult to pass a law, using the interstate compact [as a stepping stone] might make it easier to convince people in Congress to vote to get rid of the Electoral College.”
Not every state needs to sign the NPVIC. Once passed by states with a combined total of 270 or more electoral votes, it will legally take effect.
Proponents support the compact because it offers a plausible method for EC reform by bypassing the extremely difficult process of Constitutional amendment. However, some dislike the interstate compact, wary of a system prioritizing the popular vote.
“[Under a popular vote], the states with a much larger population have a much larger influence in government,” said social studies teacher Patrick Connolly. “If you’re in the midwest and it’s heavily agricultural, you feel like you don’t have a say because [everything] is being controlled by people who are not from agricultural regions.”
They prefer the current EC system or other reform options, including the District Plan, where electoral votes are winner-take-all on the congressional district level rather than the state level, and the Proportional Plan, where electoral votes are awarded in each state based on each party’s percentage of votes.
“With the electoral college, I like the proportional plan more because you split it up more evenly,” said Welge.
According to Save Our States, a political group defending the EC, the NPVIC “would lead to uncertainty, instability, and a constitutional crisis.” It is 76% of the way to nullifying the EC with more states, including Virginia, that may increase that percentage.
Virginia’s Senate previously considered the NPVIC in the 2020 session, which was struck down “at [the] request of [a] Patron in Privileges and Elections.” But it has made a comeback in the 2024 session in House Bill 375, introduced by District 10 Delegate Dan I. Helmer.
“It is a pro-democracy bill that I hope this committee will support,” said Helmer in front of the Elections Administration Subcommittee.
First introduced on January seventh, HB375 was sent to the Privileges and Elections Committee to later be assigned to the Elections Administration Subcommittee. On February fifth, the subcommittee voted to continue the bill to the 2025 session, meaning that it will not be decided on for another year. Another year in which you can take action.
“It’s important to communicate your opinion on this bill to your delegate in the House of Delegates, which you can find out by going to www.findmylegislator.com,” said Mechling. “Once you know your delegate, send an email encouraging them to vote either for/against it, depending on your opinion.”
With the EC, the NPVIC, and partisan interests at stake, it is in your best interest to share your opinion on this bill and the NPVIC itself. It could affect the presidential elections you vote in for the rest of your life, so contact your representatives and make your voice heard.
