If electoral votes are what matter, why do we have a popular vote at all?

Question

It is my understanding (and please correct me if I am wrong) that the president is chosen by the electoral college, electoral votes. If that is so, then why do we have a popular vote anyway? And WHY wouldn't the popular vote take priority? I thought it was supposed to be a free country, run by the people...but that seems to be less and less true.

If our vote has no weight, how can we say we are a democracy?

Answer 1

We have no say so in anything. They use the whole process of your vote counts to get more money for there needs. They make us think we are makeing a difference so we will give out more for what they want sense most people are strung up the nose thinking they are makeing a difference. We americans are just pee-ons. If americans really had a say so in anything.. then bush wouldn't be president right now and we wouldn't be at war. Many many things go on behind our back with no regards to us..  

Answer 2

We choose the electors. Popular vote would mean that large states would always pick the winner.

Answer 3

It's because 24 States have laws which require their electors to vote the way the people in that State voted. Those statutes are called "faithful elector" laws.

This is a free country and the people directly elect all of the 435 Members of the House of Representatives. But, it is not a democracy. It is a representative democracy within a Federal Republic.  Since ratification of the 17th Amendment they also elect all 100 Senators. But, the President is Chief Executive of the United States. That means the States, individually and collectively. So, he should depend on those States for his election. If he were elected by popular vote, then he would only represent the East Coast states and the West Coast states, with a handful of those in the Midwest.

Should the Electoral College vote taken in December not meet with the desires of the Congress when those votes are read and recorded to a Joint Session of the Congress in January, then the Congress can object and force a recorded vote by the House and the Senate on the issue. But, such a resolution objecting to it which is introduced by a Member or Members of the House, must be joined by at least one Senator.  

Answer 4

We have a popular vote to fool the people into thinking they have a say as to what is going on.

What would happen if we all voted for a 3rd party other than the two puppets that are running? Who would the electoral college vote for?

Answer 5

You must have failed civics.

We aren't a democracy.  There is no provision in the constitution to even vote for president.  The states have done that.  The electoral votes are alloted by population.  Buy a civics book.

We are a democratic republic not a democracy.  The differences are huge.  A lynch mob is a prime example of a democracy.  The laws that prevent that make us a republic.

fs

Answer 6

Because it makes states with a small population viable in the election process, if it where just a popular vote all that would matter would be states like, California, New York, Chicago etc.  No one would care about states like Wyoming, Nevada etc. So The electorial college helps even out the power of the states. And remember we are a republic not a democracy.  Your vote does have weight in your state, your steates popular vote dictates which side the elctorial votes are going to gol. Now should a state with a big population have more weight than a state with a lower one? I dont think so. If that where the case we would only have one party Democrats. Some might say great, Iprefer to have a check and blance system betweent the two parties.

Answer 7

The popular vote determines the electoral vote in each state, but I agree it's a crappy system.

Answer 8

the founding fathers set up the electoral college so that any regular joe could vote and not make a stupid decision at least that is what people have told me. I don't understand it.