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Comment on In the US, what is stopping people from bribing members of the electoral college?

Two reasons:

First, in many states the electors are bound by law to support the candidate that wins the popular vote in their state. The penalties may vary, but the intent is clear: to make sure people realize it is against the law in that state.

But the second reason is that each campaign actually picks their own electors ahead of time. So it’s not like the state has one set that will vote either way, and who can be persuaded. All of the state that votes for Harris are sending electors their campaign hand-picked, and likewise for Trump. So each side is sending their own very partisan people, whose political success is tied to their party. Violating that will ruin their political career in that party.

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Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
This is all a very convoluted system. What we should do is make it much more simple.

Take Harris, and trump. Put them in a big venue, like a football stadium, and then fill the ground level with axes and swords, and shields, and maces (the swinging spikey ball kind).

And just let them go at it until we have a victor.

Then, that victor has to solve a series of puzzles. If they can, they win.

I would also accept a revival of the 1990s version of the tv show American Gladiators. Mostly because I love that show.

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- Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  You want President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho?
  
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  - TheDoozer@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    A president who wants what is best for his people, seeks out the smartest man on the planet, and puts him in charge of the most challenging problem facing the country?
    
    Yes. I want president Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho as president.
    
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- Asafum@feddit.nl ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
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Asafum@feddit.nl ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

First, in many states the electors are bound by law to support the candidate that wins the popular vote in their state. The penalties may vary, but the intent is clear: to make sure people realize it is against the law in that state

Honestly this is so stupid if I understand their reasoning for existing in the first place. Unless I’m misunderstanding they were supposed to exist literally for this exact election, where the people elected an absolute atrocity of a person and “our betters” would recognize that and vote against him.

We should just do away with it if we have no interest in utilizing them for their actual purposes.

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- False@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Sending people to represent how a state voted makes more sense in the context of the 18 century without phones.
  
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- SexualPolytope@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Yes, electoral college should be abolished. It’s probably not gonna happen though, so this is a temporary band-aid solution that many states have implemented.
  
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  - IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    We can kinda get rid of it via National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
    
    First democrats need a majority in both houses in congress, as well as packing the court with more liberal judges.
    
    Then have enough states with the required electoral vote threshold join the interstate compact.
    
    Then have congress approve of it.
    
    Then get the supreme court (now with liberal majority) uphold the interstate compact and rule that subsequent congressional sessions cannot revoke it. (Its currently implied that congressional approval of interstate compacts cannot be revoked, but has never been court tested)
    
    Voila, you get popular vote. For as long as states dont start leaving the interstate compact. But at least you dont need 3/4th of state legislatures.
    
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    SexualPolytope@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    None of the things you mentioned sound even remotely plausible though. 🥲
    
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  - Alexstarfire@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Trump would have won anyway.
    
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EABOD25@lemm.ee ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
The popular vote be damned

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