Mass. may join effort to bypass Electoral College
blackredyellow
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While this idea has been going on for a while, this is the first I've heard of this actual movement making progress. I really don't know how I feel about it.
Wouldn't it encourage Presidential candidates to only campaign (pander to, care about etc), the large cities? I guess they do that now to an extent though anyway...
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaki ... oin_e.html
Mass. may join effort to bypass Electoral College
July 19, 2010 10:40 AM
By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff
The state Legislature is poised to give final approval this week to a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote.
Both the House and Senate have approved the National Popular Vote bill. Final enactment votes are needed in both chambers, however, before the bill goes to the governor's desk, the Globe reported last week.
Governor Deval Patrick's press office didn't immediately return a message this morning seeking comment on whether he would sign the bill, if it makes its way to his desk.
Under the proposed law, all 12 of the state's electoral votes would be awarded to the candidate who receives the most votes nationally.
Supporters are waging a state-by-state campaign to try to get such bills enacted. Once states possessing a majority of the electoral votes (or 270 of 538) have enacted the laws, the candidate winning the most votes nationally would be assured a majority of the Electoral College votes, no matter how the other states vote and how their electoral votes are distributed.
Illinois, New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington have already adopted the legislation, according to the National Popular Vote campaign's website.
Supporters of the change say that the current Electoral College system is confusing and causes candidates to focus unduly on a handful of battleground states.
Critics say the current system is not broken. They also point to the disturbing scenario that Candidate X wins nationally, but Candidate Y has won in Massachusetts. In that case, all of the state's 12 electoral votes would go to Candidate X, the candidate who was not supported by Massachusetts voters.
The measure passed both branches of the Legislature in 2008 but did not make it all the way through the process.
Wouldn't it encourage Presidential candidates to only campaign (pander to, care about etc), the large cities? I guess they do that now to an extent though anyway...
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaki ... oin_e.html
Mass. may join effort to bypass Electoral College
July 19, 2010 10:40 AM
By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff
The state Legislature is poised to give final approval this week to a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote.
Both the House and Senate have approved the National Popular Vote bill. Final enactment votes are needed in both chambers, however, before the bill goes to the governor's desk, the Globe reported last week.
Governor Deval Patrick's press office didn't immediately return a message this morning seeking comment on whether he would sign the bill, if it makes its way to his desk.
Under the proposed law, all 12 of the state's electoral votes would be awarded to the candidate who receives the most votes nationally.
Supporters are waging a state-by-state campaign to try to get such bills enacted. Once states possessing a majority of the electoral votes (or 270 of 538) have enacted the laws, the candidate winning the most votes nationally would be assured a majority of the Electoral College votes, no matter how the other states vote and how their electoral votes are distributed.
Illinois, New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington have already adopted the legislation, according to the National Popular Vote campaign's website.
Supporters of the change say that the current Electoral College system is confusing and causes candidates to focus unduly on a handful of battleground states.
Critics say the current system is not broken. They also point to the disturbing scenario that Candidate X wins nationally, but Candidate Y has won in Massachusetts. In that case, all of the state's 12 electoral votes would go to Candidate X, the candidate who was not supported by Massachusetts voters.
The measure passed both branches of the Legislature in 2008 but did not make it all the way through the process.
My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
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Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
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It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
peoples votes do make a difference, but without the electoral college, do you think the needs of south dakota, north dakota, montana, wyoming, idaho, etc will be met or even discussed? who would give a shit about them?
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
But the polls would still close in the east first and results would still on the news... If a guy is up 50 electoral votes or 10% of the popular vote early, wouldn't that have the same effect on the west coast voters?
Are they discussed now?
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
Peace
Dan
"Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
*Maybe
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
i live in one of these small population states - and i agree that the electoral college does give my indivudual vote more weight than someone's in a more populated area. that said, it's not like we here in wyoming are rolling around in our over-influence. even in the context of the EC, our 3 votes out of what, 535, don't really mean shit anyway. especially since they will always go, what, red anyway...
you have a good point, but I just think it is the all or nothing system that needs to go, the electoral college isn't completely awful, just a little broken. If they did percentages for all states I would much prefer that
I just really think things like national parks and other environmental issues would not be in any sort of for front, and I can promise that we would see more and more farms swept away, but it is just a feeling. I could be terribly wrong, and I hate to always think of the what ifs, if they do make a change, I guess we will just have to see how it goes.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
It sure could have prevented a whole shit can of fucking trouble in 2000 and since.
"what a long, strange trip it's been"
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis