Rep. Jackson's
Electoral College Reform
October 8, 2004
JACKSON: END ELECTORAL COLLEGE & ELECT PRES/VP
DIRECTLY
Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., today introduced legislation House
Joint Resolution 109, which would add an amendment to the U.S.
Constitution eliminating the Electoral College and allowing the
American people to directly elect their President and Vice
President. Jackson stated, "It's time the American people did
to the election of their President and Vice President what they did
by adding the 17th Amendment with respect to U.S. Senators - let the
American people elect them directly instead of having state
legislatures select them for us. Similarly it's time the American
people, our republican form of government and our representative
democracy were allowed to elect their President and Vice President
directly instead of indirectly through the Electoral College."
Part of the rationale for establishing the Electoral College
in the first place was to make sure that the slaving-owning southern
states would have disproportionate power and, therefore, a
disproportionate say over who would be elected President and Vice
President and, therefore, be able to preserve their peculiar
institution. The American people understand democracy and are fully
mature democrats. It's time to end the paternalism of the Electoral
College.
H.J. Res. 109 respects, values and trusts the American people
with direct democracy in a republican or representative form of
government. H.J. Res. 109 also respects the principle of one-person
one-vote. Finally, it respects and affirms the democratic principle
of majority rule.
The amendment contains the following provisions:
Section 1. The President and Vice President shall be elected
jointly by
the direct vote of the citizens of the United States, without regard
to whether the citizens are residents of a State.
Section 2. The persons having the greatest number of votes for
President and Vice President shall be elected, so long as such
persons have a majority of the votes cast.
Section 3. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article
through
appropriate legislation.
Section 4. This article shall apply with respect to any election for
President and Vice President held after the expiration of the 1-year
period which begins on the date of the ratification of this article.
Congressman Jackson concluded, "I will reintroduce this
legislation in every future Congress to which I am elected.". Find
more on the status of this bill at here What's
New in the Electoral College Electoral
College Table of Contents Pending
Legislation Lobbying
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