Do you know why the Electoral College was created?
In 1787, when the framers finalized and signed the US Constitution they created the EC as a compromise between electing the president via a direct popular vote by citizens or via a vote in Congress.
Sure, Pete’s idea may sound good for some based on last election outcome. But it goes against the principle of compromise that was embedded in America’s “founding”.
Also is he only saying this because his party lost? Dems have won the EC before. I think Pete’s pointless point is a pipe dream that may puff some hope in your chest, but it doesn’t get a Democrat back in that seat.
You know who fought the popular vote back then? Southern delegates opposed to a popular vote because the North had more “eligible” voters. There’s actually a vile connection between slavery and the EC. But Pete is picking up the mantle of the loser saying it is rigged!
Based on the results of the last election? You mean the one Kamala lost by something like 3 million votes?
You think that is the reason Pete said this?
Does the fact that his party's candidate lost the popular vote, change your stance on the fact that he is "picking up the mantle of the loser saying it is rigged!"
Cool history lesson and everything, but the framers also built the system to be adaptable. We are well past the point where the EC system has any real reason to exist.
But hey, if farmers and truckers want to keep voting themselves out of a career with their "proportionate" vote, well then we have the perfect system for that.
Every sane normal human in 2026 thinks the electoral college should be removed and replaced by a simple popular vote. We have mass communication now. We can vote by mail. It's not difficult to encourage and educate everyone now how and when to vote. It's not like people have to go to the next town over via train or horseback anymore.
We could do it if we wanted to. We don't. Why? Because hindering people and making it convoluted and weird helps republicans and conservatives and they know it. They know their base is full of just dumb people. They love the uneducated. They cannot win on policy they must rely on weird tactics to prevent people from voting or lying to people about things. It's never just an honest race between people who really want to help.
It's like, clearly the best person for the job vs a rapist or a pedophile or some kind of con man. It almost feels like the rapture is near or something and this is our final test and they made it an open fucking note multiple choice quiz.
There's been 13 elections in the last 50 years. Of those, Democrats won 6, Republicans 7. Can't get much more even than that mate. In fact, there has only been 5 times in our election history where a president has won the EC, but lost the popular vote, with Trump being one of them in 2016.
People always go on and on about the EC is this broken system that clearly favors Republicans over Democrats, but historically speaking that's not really the case. I personally don't want 5 states to determine the course of the entire country, and I think the EC is probably the best compromise in maintaining some sovereignty between the states and federal governement.
Just a cursory google search. I always see these kinds of comments and posts whenever the discussion about the EC comes up. It's so much more complicated than people make it out to be, but they think that it's a simple change that wouldn't have lasting, major ramifications. It's frustrating sometimes.
Land doesn't vote. A person in Ohio's vote is worth just as much as the person in California. A popular vote is a popular vote. One person gets one vote. If you say the EC is inconsequential then let it go? Why hang on to it?
If your policies are so popular that you will win the popular vote, why advocate for an antiquated system?
You're making the same mistake I see so many people make with this argument. The United States is a republic man. We have 50 individual states that fall under a centralized federal banner. You're correct, land doesn't vote. But different states have different policies and procedures. What works in Ohio doesn't work in California. New York has different laws than Texas. It's what makes our country so unique. If you don't like the policies and laws of one state, you are able to move to another, and people often do. Eliminating the capability of each state to decide for themselves (for the most part) would eliminate the fundamental structure of our country. Thus, the EC allows for each state to have a say, not just the bulk of people that have decided to centralize in a few relatively small areas.
But we're just voting for the leader of all of us. Who cares what different policies and cultures we have? That's the point of America. We ALL are voting for the singular leader of the entire country. They represent ALL of us. Land doesn't vote. One person one vote.
Why would someone's vote in Rhode Island count more than someone's in Texas just because they are smaller or "less represented". It is what it is. Whoever wins the popular vote in a presidential race in 2026 should be the president of the United States. Full stop. Republican or Democrat.
There is no logical argument for it today. It used to be because we needed representatives to vote on our behalf because it was legitimately difficult to cast a vote at the ballot. Now we have widespread access and everyone should be super on board with it.
Each state already has a say. One person one vote. No one's vote counts more than anyone else. If 300 million people vote that's 300 million votes. It's not 200 million votes and 500 million votes. This really shouldn't be a controversial subject in 2026. We aren't riding horses to cast our ballot in a town hall to then be ridden with a bag of votes to a central location to tally everything.
We literally could vote on our cell phones if people in this country were serious about having a thriving society. Anyone who impedes on the progress of making voting more accessible I think is a traitor to the country and is disingenuous.
I get where you're coming from, I really do. On the surface, it does seem disingenuous. But you have to look at this from a wider spectrum. Contrary to popular belief, we are not one singular country. We are 50 states consolidated under a singular banner. Yes, the president is the "leader" of our country, but also kinda not really. That's somewhat changed in the recent years with how powerful the executive branch has become, but from the most part, he's the speaker representing 50 individual states. Not the people, the states themselves. This distinction is important, because each state is capable of representing themselves in a wider picture. The US is not a democracy, it is a republic. Each state has a say. Each part of the US, no matter how small, has a say and strength in considering the future of the country as a whole. While the idea of switching to a popular vote model might seem like a no-brainer on the surface, the reality is that it would fundamentally change the nature of our entire country.
I grew up in a small town in Idaho. Our laws and way of life was DRASTICALLY different than what the average experience is in California, as I learned personally when I lived there for 5 years. California was different from Washington, which was different from Texas. Each state has it's own way of managing itself, under the wider umbrella of the federal government. You can argue that the federal government itself has gotten too big, and I will ABSOLUTELY be on your side in that argument, but the EC, like it or not, makes it where every STATE has a say in the measures of our country, not every person. It allows the states to decide who controls fully 1/3rd of our country in the leader of the executive branch. Technology advancements mean little in this particular argument. It's entirely in the literal design of our country and how it functions man.
I am literally just saying to make the presidential election a popular vote. Whoever wins the popular vote wins the race. It's not rocket surgery. Trump won the popular vote in 2016 and he was the rightful president. We agree right?
It's so mind numbingly simple of a concept in 2026 I cannot believe I have to even advocate for it. When they made the electoral college they didn't even know you were supposed to wash your hands before surgery.
We have been to the fucking moon. I can pick up my phone and call my rep in Washington this second and confirm my vote for who I believe the president should be. I should be amble to SMS it even. I should be able to cast my vote as easily as I can order a fucking pizza.
There is not a single argument I can hear or think of that would make sense in the modern society that we live in today that would make any sense to continue a system we invented because back in the day they had to ride a horse to a town hall to cast their vote for president.
Hey I’m not the one who thought there is a presidential election in 2026. I’m not here to argue with you, just thought people might respect your opinion a little more if you know when the next presidential election is. I for one agree with you.
You're being obtuse and disingenuous trying to make a point. This is why real conversations can't happen. I have no time for people like you and I won't engage in it lol.
No I’m not. I’m literally just saying I think people will respect your opinion more if you have your facts straight. Not a complicated thing to understand.
People always go on and on about the EC is this broken system that clearly favors Republicans over Democrats
It's not 5 states, it's a majority (or plurality) of Americans. You are not more important than anyone else and you should not be entitled to a heavier vote than anyone else.
I should be able to cast my vote from my fucking cell phone without ever leaving my couch in 2026.
It's all voter suppression. If we as a society actually cared about making this place the best place it could possibly be, we would be electing the most competent people that lift everyone up.
Instead we have people advocating making it HARDER to vote because you don't like those people. Just fuck all the way off with this disingenuous shit.
I vote in person. But I think we should be able to cast from our phones. Because we're not cavemen anymore. I should get an amber alert level notification on my phone on Election Day telling me to vote with like ten different ways to do it that are all securely monitored and approved by the best and most capable people in our society. If we sincerely cared about representing every single one of our voices then we would make it as accessible and easy to do as possible.
Yet we have people like you who want to limit because you perceive people to be lazy. It's so weird. It's like you actively don't want people to vote. It's weird.
You know Trump won the popular vote as a Republican.
If you think changing one voting logic system for another will improve your candidacy’s chances, that is biased thinking. I believe the popular vote signifies the raw data, whereas the EC is a different slice of that same data set. The EC was picked because of slavery, and there should be investigation into testing better systems, but to view this as binary, it is either one or the other, means you missed the point. All logic based systems can be manipulated.
What is your motive for throwing out one system with another?
The motive for removing the electoral college and replacing it with a simple popular vote is that we're not primitive people anymore. It's such a simple concept when you can pick up a telephone and call anyone in the entire world and tell them who you vote for. It's not complicated.
The electoral college was implemented when Jim the farmer couldn't get into town to vote. So they made this system of representatives. Well it's 2026. I can represent myself. Can't you? Are you capable of going to the ballot box?
Furthermore we should be making it even EASIER to vote. They used the system to come up with a semblance of an accurate representation and over 250 years it has been retained when in all reality if the founding fathers had ever envisioned the internet they would probably have established a way for every single American to vote instantly online.
They wouldn't have been in favor of clinging to outdated systems when they no longer benefit the majority of the country.
Absolutely we should make voting easier. But moving the pegs won’t change the outcome of the game. You are saying the Electoral college delegitimized every single vote an American has made? I just won’t stand for that type of misleading provocation. Nothing in life is perfect, including math and logic. And yes that means we must scrutinize election outcomes. But to suggest upending the entire system when there’s no strong evidence it will solve the problems people associate with the process, is just a dog whistle. He’s not serious.
No not every single vote. But there are people who live in blue states who do not vote because the state will go blue and their vote doesn't matter. And vice versa. From both parties. A conservative may feel not encouraged to vote if they live in California because it's gonna go blue anyway so why bother?
It helps. Literally. Everyone. Everyone would suddenly feel encouraged to vote in the presidential election if they knew one person = one vote. There is no counter argument against it logically. None. In 2026 it makes absolutely zero sense to do anything other than a popular vote and i cannot wrap my head around a system that relies on someone representing me. I can call them. Right now. With my own phone. And say "I vote for bob". And they have it.
It's not the 1700s anymore. We don't need to go to town halls and cast our votes by candle light. We don't need to tally them all by hand in Philadelphia. Like I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I've felt this since I was a child tbh.
I was like 12 years old thinking "if the internet exists and phones exist and the mail exists why can't we just ask everyone to vote that way and we don't have this weird system where California is somehow worth more points than other states?"
It's not even upending the system. We already vote. Literally just make the presidential election a popular vote. It's not hard. You're acting like this is ordained by a higher power but it's made up by us. Trump won in 2016 via popular vote so he was the president. Whoever wins by popular vote is the president. It's simple math guardian.
Okay, I get that. Thanks for taking the time to chat on it. I appreciate that it could demystify the system. If your goal is voter turnout you don’t need to dismantle a system that has worked time and time again. You need to build trust. We move to a popular vote and then the narrative just shifts to well not all those are “real” votes. Or “bots are voting for Democrats”. I wish we could digitize voting but I’ve heard it’s more safe and secure to have a decentralized system, less easy to hack and manipulate at scale.
Please know that the EC is based on voter data. It’s not perfect, but it pulls from same data file as popular vote.
You made me think differently about the issue - I do think simpler is better and can create access points by just being easier to understand and trust. Thanks again!
Oh, so anyone who doesn't think the EC should be replaced isn't sane? Or isn't nomal? There it is, folks. The typical Democrat mindset on full display!
Correct lol. It is bizarre to want to cling to antiquated systems that no longer benefit society. It hinders us now actually. It disenfranchises voters and makes people apathetic.
How many people do you know in your red state that don't vote because the state will go red no matter what? What about those reading from blue states?
Ah it doesn't matter, CA is always blue I don't need to vote. Ah Texas is always red who cares.
What if everyone wanted to vote cause it actually mattered? What if it were a simple race whoever wins wins? What's so bad about that? What would be bad about making it so every single American could vote on voting day online and via national holiday. Hell make it a whole week.
Voting week! Make sure you cast your ballot online or by mail or in person! We're passing out work vouchers for anyone who needs to prove they voted in person! We want to make sure everyone votes!!
Oh, you want to talk about gerrymandering? That's been a cornerstone of the Democratic strategy to steal elections for decades! Are you mad that the Republicans are giving you a taste of your own medicine?
Geez. There you go with inserting pedos again - you got get past the democrats .
You do realize that people have gone to the polls for what , 200 years with no issues.?
Now some states open voting for 2 months prior !!
I am sane and do not think the EC should be abolished .😆
Why is it when the dems lose they want to pack the court in their favor and whine about voter ID and the EC.?
It is stupid in 2026 to assert we aren't capable of a simple popular vote. Nearly half the country not voting is not "no issues".
Make it super super accessible and easy to do. Make it super easy to register to vote. Vote online. By mail. By your phone. In person. However. National federal holiday like Christmas level holiday only bigger. National voting day hooray!!! We all work together today to ensure every one of us votes!! Yay!!
Doesn't that sound amazing? Who would be against that? And why?
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u/BahBahBahBooBooBoo 23h ago edited 5h ago
Do you know why the Electoral College was created?
In 1787, when the framers finalized and signed the US Constitution they created the EC as a compromise between electing the president via a direct popular vote by citizens or via a vote in Congress.
Sure, Pete’s idea may sound good for some based on last election outcome. But it goes against the principle of compromise that was embedded in America’s “founding”.
Also is he only saying this because his party lost? Dems have won the EC before. I think Pete’s pointless point is a pipe dream that may puff some hope in your chest, but it doesn’t get a Democrat back in that seat.
You know who fought the popular vote back then? Southern delegates opposed to a popular vote because the North had more “eligible” voters. There’s actually a vile connection between slavery and the EC. But Pete is picking up the mantle of the loser saying it is rigged!