Why do we vote if the Electoral College is the one who decides who becomes president?

Question

After the 2000 U.S. presidential election, just about everybody in the United States was talking about the Electoral College. In the end, of course, Gore won the popular vote (more Americans voted for him), but Bush actually won the presidency, because he was awarded the majority of the votes in the Electoral College.

so why even bother, maybe I am wrong, fine it demonstrates democracy and freedom, but if it does not count why bother?

Answer 1

It does count if every individual person votes b/c depending on which canidate gets the popular vote in a certain state then that canidiate recieves all the electoral votes that represent him/her in that state.  

For the case of election 2000, it was a discrepency when Bush won the popular vote for the state of Florida.  Since there were a few thousand dangling chads  or uncertain votes there was a big dispute about who won the election.  So after some recounting etc. Bush had the popular vote in Florida.  And that made him have more electoral votes than Gore.  If it had been the other way around then Gore would have won.  But if Bush had not received all the other electoral votes from the other states which are determined according to the popular vote then he could have lost the Presidency.  Therefore, every person's vote is imporant.

Answer 2

It makes us feel better. It gives the media something to keep track of, to poll and to report. You are right. The Electoral College selects the President, and you are right...Bush won in 2000.

Answer 3

Solar Power Socialism instead of voting. Perhaps a change in the way voting is done so  a Solar Power Party can get in.  Solar Power Socialism could stop poverty and Global Warming. The Communist Manifesto could be a guide. The process does not have to be the same as in The Soviet Socialist Union.

Answer 4

"...fine it demonstrates democracy..."

NO, IT DOES NOT.

WTF, do they teach anything in schools these days?!

Answer 5

It would allow the person running for President to only go for the Votes in the Largest States and Cities.

I agree with you that if you win the popular vote you win the election.

I wrote my State Senator asking him to change the way NY does its Electoral Votes. If they are keeping this system than it should not be winner takes all the Electoral Votes it should be divide by the % of votes Received.

NY is a Winner takes all State and my vote has yet to count.

Answer 6

Electoral College is a old democratic format it is not valid anymore. I feel the vote must be direct like the mayority of the Democracies ( Canada, Europe, everywhere).

Answer 7

The electoral college is little more than a formality.  When you vote for a candiate, you're technically voting for an elector pledged to vote for him in the electoral college.  That elector can only change his vote in the unlikely event no one candidate has the electoral votes to win the presidency.  In the past, electors had more freedom to change thier votes (or even not pledge them in the first place).

Answer 8

depending on size, each state has a different amount of electoral votes, kind of like delegates during the primary with CA having that most, I think 55. Whoever wins a state gets ALL the electoral votes, even if they won by 1 vote. So if one candidate won like 30 states but the other won 20 with more electoral votes, the 2nd one would win.

Answer 9

After 30 years of not voting for that very reason, I can say that I am voting now out of desperation and frustration. It's the only way I have to relive some of my pent up anger at these fascists! I also choose to write my congressmen  and representatives because they are supposed to represent ME. The constituion starts with "WE THE PEOPLE" and that means YOU and me!!! Write and complain and DEMAND this injustice change! To not vote and not write the powers that be is to condone what they are doing to us as a country and as individuals! STAND UP AND DEMAND IT CHANGE!

Answer 10

The votes of the electoral college are determind by the popular vote in each state.  They cannot vote for whoever they want.

Do try to learn something about how the system works before complaining about it.

Without the electoral college, presidential campaigns would be decided by the six largest urban areas in the United States.  Is that what you really want?

Answer 11

Because we elect the people who are supposed to represent us with their electoral vote

Answer 12

The popular vote elects the electors of the college.

The original reason was that the founders did nbot trust the people, most of whom were illiterate and ignorant, just as  today, with so important a decision. Thus, in order to keep the concept of democracy they decreed that the people, the masses would elect wiser, generally more educated land owners who would in turn cast their ballots in support of the vote of the people. It also balanced, somewhat, the difference in population between the states.

Electors, however, are not  legally bound to vote in the way the people who elected them wanted They usually do but do not have to.