Defends Electoral College

Vox Pop

We need to preserve the Electoral College. There is a publication put out by Hillsdale College called “Imprimis” which is free upon request. Last year, the June issue was titled “The Danger of the Attacks on the Electoral College” written by Trent England.

He wrote that under the Electoral College System, presidential elections are decentralized, taking place in the states. This decentralization is of great value. State boundaries serve a function much like a watertight compartment on an ocean liner. Disputes are contained within individual states. One state can recount its votes, for example, without triggering a nationwide recount. The electoral College ensures that winning super majorities in one region of the country is not suffi cient to win the White House. The Electoral College continues to push parties and presidential candidates to build broad coalitions. Rather than following previous examples of building a broader national coalition that could win the Electoral College, today’s Democrats, would prefer to change the rules.

There is a serious threat to the Electoral College. It’s called The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact or NPV. This compact, if adopted by enough states, would require state legislators to ignore their state’s voters and appoint electors based on the national popular vote. NPV would have the same affect as abolishing the Electoral College. Fraud in one state would affect every state and the only way to deal with it would be to give more power to the federal government. Candidates could win based on intense support from a narrow region or from big cities. NPV would reward states with lax election laws — the high the turnout, legal or not, the more power for that state. These attacks undermine the Constitution as a whole. The measure of our Constitution is whether it is effective at encouraging just stable, and free government — government that protects the rights of its citizens. The Electoral College is effective at doing this. We need to preserve it and help our fellow Americans understand why it matters. Sign up for the free “Imprimis” monthly publication today by contacting imprimis@hillsdale.edu, calling 1-800-432-2268 or writing External Affairs, Hillsdale College, 33 E. College St., Hillsdale, MI 49242-9989.

— Doreen Fierke, Stetsonville