Should We Remove the Electoral College?

First things first-what is the Electoral College?  For those of you who don't know, or are just simply confused on what it is, here's an overview;  the Electoral College is basically a population of voters from each state that essentially have the final say on who becomes President.  You may be thinking, but doesn't my vote count?  Your vote counts in the popular vote that elects electors who have pledged to vote for a certain party, so you're not directly voting for who you want to become president.  Click here! for a list of electoral votes and popular votes presidents have received.

Believe it or not the electoral college has been around for about 200 years!  What do you think about the electoral college?  Should it be removed? Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons about the electoral college system.

CONS- Get rid of it! Out with the old!

• It fails to accurately portray the national popular vote;
• It may make voter turnout decrease at the polls;
• Doesn't allow a minority candidate to come into power;
• Said to be "fixed" and dysfunctional;
• Complicated system;
• It's an old system-time to change tradition?;
• Winner of popular vote might lose electoral vote (fair?);
• Power to swing states

"No one likes the Electoral College, except perhaps those who were elected because of it."

~Kevin Bleyer

PROS-Keep the system! 

• Enhances the minority of small state interests;
• Provides political stability by encouraging a two-party system;
• Maintains system of government representation;
• Allows states to play a vital role-Click here! to see a map of electoral votes and results
• Offers framework for organized campaigns;
• Aids in directing power to states;
• It's tradition;
• Candidates with lower popular vote will still have a chance if they get the electoral votes.

Want to learn more? Click here! and here!

Do you think that the electoral college is fair?  Regardless of whether you think it's fair or not, it has been used for roughly 200 years and will probably continue to be used for many more years to come because it is tradition and the United States is largely built upon tradition.