Civic Register
| 4.27.18
Trump Wants Elections Decided by Popular Vote
Join us and tell your reps how you feel!
What’s the story?
- President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he’d like to ditch the Electoral College for presidential elections because the popular vote is “easier to win.”
- In an interview with Fox & Friends, the president – who lost the popular vote in the 2016 election – said:
“Remember, we won the election. And we won it easily. You know, a lot of people say ‘Oh, it was close.’ And by the way, they also like to always talk about Electoral College. Well, it’s an election based on the Electoral College. I would rather have a popular election, but it’s a totally different campaign.”
- Trump explained that the presidential race is like an actual race: “It’s as though you're running—if you're a runner, you're practicing for the 100-yard dash as opposed to the 1-mile.”
“The Electoral College is different. I would rather have the popular vote because it's, to me, it's much easier to win the popular vote,” he continued.
Need a reminder on how the Electoral College works? Click above.
Why does it matter?
- Trump is not alone in suggesting we lose the Electoral College. Recently, a coalition of law firms, politicians, and the League of United Latin American Citizens filed lawsuits claiming the "winner-take-all" Electoral College system violates the Constitution.
"Under the winner-take-all system, U.S. citizens have been denied their constitutional right to an equal vote in presidential elections,” attorney David Boies, who’s leading the coalition, said in a statement. “This is a clear violation of the principle of one person, one vote."
What do you think?
Is it time to revisit the Electoral College? Is the "winner-take-all" system unconstitutional? Should all states adopt Maine’s ranked-choice voting? Hit Take Action and tell you reps, then share your thoughts below.
—Josh Herman
Related Reading
- Should All States Adopt Ranked-Choice Voting?
- Lawsuits Challenge Electoral College
- How Does the Electoral College Work?
- Congress Certifies Electoral Votes Amid Protests by Democrats
(Photo Credit: cienpies / iStock)
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