Dear Editor:
A recent opinion piece suggested that although the proposal to allot Pennsylvania’s electoral college votes by congressional district might be politically motivated, we should let the voters decide. That is flawed reasoning.
A state’s electoral college votes are allocated by the number of U.S. Senators (always two) and House members (which vary by population). That is the formula, not a method to divide the votes. If all states determined electoral college votes by congressional districts, the Republicans would win almost every presidential election, since Democratic voters tend to be concentrated in urban areas. Under the present system, either party has a good chance of winning the White House, but only if all states follow the same rules.
The fact that Maine and Nebraska allocate by district has had little effect, since they are both small states. If Pennsylvania were to change its system, it could very well skew the outcome of the presidential race.
The authors who advocate the referendum think this will restore faith in the legislature. How? Consider the money that would be spent on a public referendum on this issue. Imagine the distortions of a campaign. A referendum will not be a calm debate in paneled halls with chandeliers. It will be a vicious fight between two sides jockeying for political advantage, and its effect will be to make voters even more cynical.
We'll see if it gets published.
The Electoral College is archaic and it is high time that it is totally eliminated. I believe it was put in place because the electorate was uneducated and our founding fathers felt this was needed. Maybe 200 years ago it was but not now. Now we have certain politicians who want to rig the system for their own well being. Let us hope they don't succeed.
ReplyDeleteWhat we need is a true majority process. One person one vote. Whoever wins the popular vote is the winner.