Special Interests
“The Electoral College provides the potential for any cohesive special interest concentrated in a large, competitive state to exercise disproportionate power.  Wall Street workers in New York, movie industry employees in California, and those earning a living in the energy business in Texas could, in theory, swing their states to one candidate or the other.  Do we really want a system of electing the president that provides such potential to special interests?…

Disproportionate power to any group is difficult to reconcile with political equality.  As James Madison proclaimed at the Constitutional Convention, ‘local considerations must give way to the general interest.’”  (George C. Edwards III, Why the Electoral College is Bad for America)

Power of State Legislatures

Unlucky Luck

Ignoring Your Vote

More Options

Vague Values

Electoral Replacements

Electoral Tie

Favorite Son Effect


A Few States Wins

Constitutional Residence

State Size

 
Electoral College Table of Contents


 
July 13th 2009
Albatross of U.S. democracy
Indianapolis Star

FairVote research is cited in support of the National Popular Vote plan in Indiana, because "every vote cast for president should be equally important and equally coveted, whether it originates in California, Connecticut or Crawfordsville."

July 9th 2009
Winner-take-all can elect a second-place president
San Diego Union-Tribune

The founder of National Popular Vote lays out the shortcomings and injustices of the Electoral College system, and shows why the National Popular Vote plan is the right solution.

May 17th 2009
Why states should adopt the National Popular Vote plan for president
San Diego Union-Tribune

FairVote's Rob Richie writes that the Electoral College deepens political inequality, and explains why the National Popular Vote plan is our best opportunity to ensure that every vote for president is equally valued.

May 14th 2009
Let's Make Every Vote Count
The Nation

Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of the Nation magazine, highlights FairVote's research in an important piece on the "broad support" growing in the states for the National Popular Vote plan to elect the president.

May 13th 2009
Representative Democracy: Two Steps Forward
The Daily Herald

The executive director of the Economic Opportunity Institute heralds the passage of the National Popular Vote bill in Washington state.

[ Next ]