We are lucky to live in the United States where we are governed by one of the most well-thought-out governing documents globally – the United States Constitution. This document outlines every action that the national government can take on our behalf, the responsibilities of each role, and what is expected of every elected official.
One crucial aspect the Constitution covers is elections, particularly the process for electing the President of the United States. The U.S. is a constitutional republic with 50 independent states, each conducting its own election to choose a group of electors who later vote to select the president. This system is commonly known as the Electoral College. Generally, these electors are meant to vote for the presidential candidate who won the state’s popular vote, although seldom there are cases of “faithless electors.”
The Constitution specifies the duties of our elected representatives, who are required to pledge to support and obey it. Hence, it would be beneficial if more of them actually read the document to avoid moments of absurdity like the following example:
BREAKING: A group of Senate Democrats introduce bill to abolish the Electoral College, restoring democracy by allowing the direct election of presidents through popular vote alone.
— Senate Judiciary Committee (@JudiciaryDems) December 16, 2024
There are so many things wrong with this it’s hard to know where to begin – so let’s begin at the beginning.
First, the Constitution, in Article II, Section 1, states in part:
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves.
First, we hold elections to determine who the electors will be, and they vote for the president. That’s not the way it’s generally described, but that’s how it works. The apportionment of electors is a brilliant system that ensures that every state will have a say in presidential elections; otherwise, every presidential election would be decided in a few major cities.
But most of all, these “Senate Democrats” clearly do not comprehend that they cannot just pass a bill to abolish this system. This would require a constitutional amendment, meaning a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, followed by ratification by 3/4 of the 50 states – 33 states. Good luck with that.
Second, on the claim of “restoring democracy,” one cannot restore what has never been the case. The United States was founded as a constitutional republic and remains a constitutional republic to this day. The words “democrat” “democratic” and “democracy” appear nowhere in the Constitution, although Article 4, Section 4 states:
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
Also, “restore” means “return to a preceding state.” The Electors system has been in place since the Constitution was ratified. There’s nothing to restore.
