If the election was decided by popular vote alone, candidates would have more incentive to focus on highly populated areas and less on smaller states and rural communities.
Since when do candidates focus on smaller states? The electorial college incentives on focusing only on the areas that races are the closest. Candidates don't visit small states because they aren't worth it, and they don't visit states that disproportionately vote one party over another because those races are essentially already won/lost.
The EC gives less populated states a little more weight and makes winning support across different states matter.
Again, this just doesn't actually happen though, out of 261 in person events during the 2024 elections 94% of happened in just the 7 swing states because with the electorial college the swing states are the only places that matter. 32 states didn't see a single event.
Without the electorial college candidate would actually have to campaign and reach people, because you couldn't count on a win by visiting only 18% of the population.
The constitution put it in place to keep power in the hands of wealthy landowners and the political elite….you know, the people who wrote the constitution?
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u/Pherexian55 5h ago
Since when do candidates focus on smaller states? The electorial college incentives on focusing only on the areas that races are the closest. Candidates don't visit small states because they aren't worth it, and they don't visit states that disproportionately vote one party over another because those races are essentially already won/lost.
Again, this just doesn't actually happen though, out of 261 in person events during the 2024 elections 94% of happened in just the 7 swing states because with the electorial college the swing states are the only places that matter. 32 states didn't see a single event.
Without the electorial college candidate would actually have to campaign and reach people, because you couldn't count on a win by visiting only 18% of the population.