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.
Comment on In the US, what is stopping people from bribing members of the electoral college?
Asafum@feddit.nl 5 weeks agoFirst, 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.
SexualPolytope@lemmy.sdf.org 5 weeks ago
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.
SexualPolytope@lemmy.sdf.org 5 weeks ago
None of the things you mentioned sound even remotely plausible though. 🥲
IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 weeks ago
Democrats getting both houses of congress is not implausable, assuming we still have elections in the future.
Packing the supreme court isnt hard, just need the democrats to find their spine. And they could just rebrand it as “Balancing The Court” for PR purposes.
Now finding the states that add up to 270 electoral votes to join the i reinstate conpact, that is the biggest hurdle, but the downballot effect should win enough state legislatures if democrats win congress. Right now we’re 77% of the way there. One reason I speculate why they remaing swing states havent joined is becauss they want to wait until theres a friendly congress and supreme court before trying, because there will be legal challenges to it. If congress and supreme court are in control, then I could see swing states quickly joining the interstate compact in rapid succession.
Alexstarfire@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Trump would have won anyway.
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.