The Electoral College is simply a form of the process consisting of selector’s selection. It is also considered as the elector’s meeting where they conduct the President’s and the Vice President’s selection. Additionally, this process entails Congress’ electoral votes counting. The Electoral College was established as the compromise between the election of the president by a vote of the eligible citizens and the Congress (Shaw, 2008). The system is comprised of 538 electors who cast their regional votes for the President. The candidate with the most votes is the winner of the state’s electoral votes. To win the presidency, one is required to obtain about 270 or more of the Electoral College’s votes. However, this process has both advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Electoral College
The process of the Electoral College ensures that the presidential candidates remain focused during the campaign period. Some states or votes offer more electoral votes compared to others hence it acts as a way to notifying the candidates where to concentrate during campaigns. According to Shelley (2002), Electoral College has the potential of reducing the likelihood of a recount of the nation’s election and further prevents potential fraud. Recounts are costly and time consuming considering the size of USA. Additionally, the system tends to assist federal character’s maintenance within the country. This is where the system offers every potential state a free will to come up with their individual laws on voting and to make relevant amendments. It helps in the power maintenance where the constitution is specifically designed to group the government into three distinct branches designed to provide checks and balance along with potential deliberations. Further, it might lead to tyranny in a good (Shaw, 2008). The system allows for a two party system. This is where the system maintains a two-party system, hence providing the state with a firm stability.
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The system offers minority groups or smaller states a say in the whole electioneering process. The Electoral College has been able to give smaller states a voice where states that have smaller populations have been given an equal say when it comes to the presidential election (Strömberg, 2008).
Disadvantages of Electoral College
This system allows those states with bigger swings to acquire much of the attention. The majority of the states favors those candidates with the majority of votes to obtain most of the state’s votes. Some of the states have a history of voting either for Democrats or Republican. According to Shelley (2002), the system discourages voter turnout since most of them will feel that their votes have no effect on those candidates with highest common votes in various states. This system has shown that individual vote does not matter where they are considered irrelevant even in a situation where the state votes one way, the electoral vote might vote the other way. Additionally, the system tends to favor smaller and those states with less population. It is clear that Electoral College often offers power to small and less populated states in a bit to let them have a say. This is unfair as viewed by the larger states since it often favors the Republican Party (Strömberg, 2008). This system may allow the minority to win, and those candidates with most votes might not necessarily win since the presidential win is based on Electoral College’s decision (Shaw, 2008).
Conclusion
The Electoral College system is a core element of modern US political system used in the determination of the country’s presidential elections. The Electoral College has potential advantages and disadvantages in the whole electoral process. Despite the fact that Electoral College system has enhanced the US presidential elections, there is the need to focus on the potential limitations associated with this system.
References
Shaw, D. R. (2008). The race to 270: The electoral college and the campaign strategies of 2000 and 2004 . University of Chicago Press.
Shelley, F. M. (2002). The Electoral College and the election of 2000. Political Geography , 21 (1), 79-83.
Strömberg, D. (2008). How the Electoral College influences campaigns and policy: the probability of being Florida. The American Economic Review , 98 (3), 769-807.
