Smith 1

Ella Smith

Crystal Echols

English Composition II

30 October 2021

Why Does The United States Use the Electoral College?

I was sitting in my 8th grade history class when I heard something I had never

heard before. I sat there, almost stunned, “What do you mean the government doesn’t

just count all our votes to elect a president?” My history teacher sat there, unphased by

my shock, and began to explain the process of the electoral college. Listening to his

explanation of the electoral college sparked many questions from me, such as “How can

this be democratic?”, “Why would I even bother voting?”, and “Why does the

government do this?” I trust that the United States’ government would not implement

such a process without reasoning, but what exactly is their reasoning? Through my

research, I discovered that the United States uses the electoral college to ensure equal

representation, political stability, and prevent possible complications related to the

election.

As stated by Oxford Languages, the electoral college is “a body of people

representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the

president and vice president.” The electoral college was introduced to us in the

beginning years of our country by our Founding Fathers. It was a compromise between

the election of the President solely based on the popular vote and the election of the

President by Congress’ vote (National Archives). Through the electoral college, electors

chose the president. The number of electors for each state is the same number of
 Smith 2

members they have in Congress. The process begins by citizens of their states voting.

Their votes are then counted and the winner from these votes gets all the electoral

votes (the states Maine and Nebraska being an exception). Candidates must receive

270 of the 538 electors to win the election (Presidential Election Process). Our

Founding Fathers included the process of the electoral college as part of the

Constitution. Although it has been part of our Constitution since the beginning, we know

this does not stop Americans from forming a disfavor towards it. The 2016 election can

be blamed for stirring up much of this disfavor. After Hillary Clinton won the popular

vote, many began to look forward to her presidency. However, this excitement was cut

short due to Donald Trump winning the electoral vote, granting him his presidency. Now

that we know how it works, that leaves us with the question “why?” Why would the

government continue to use such a process that most Americans don’t even seem to

favor?
 Smith 3

Figure 1 by Civis Analytics shows the percentage of people who think we should select

presidents based on whichever candidate gets the most votes compared to votes awarded by

the electoral college.

Equal representation is arguably one of the most important parts of a democracy

to Americans. Which is one of the many reasons our Founding Fathers decided to

establish the electoral college. “They feared that under a national popular vote system,

presidential candidates would just campaign in the big cities and urban areas, ignoring

the less populated, more rural parts of the country” (Spakovsky, Williams). Without the

electoral college, it would be easy for small states to be forgotten about during a

presidential campaign. Presidential candidates could simply campaign in urban cities

and states, and practically secure their spot as president. This is because the number of

consistent votes from a large city like Dallas, Texas would be much more beneficial than

a number of consistent votes from a small, rural city. If a presidential candidate

continued this tactic, they could secure an election while ignoring many voters. But why

does it matter if these small cities and states get outvoted and overlooked? Instead of

thinking just about the number of people, think about the types of people living in these

cities and states. The demographics are completely different. Those living in urban

cities are likely to have much different beliefs, lifestyles, and jobs compared to those in

rural communities. And because of this, they are more likely to vote a certain way.

Thanks to the electoral college, we can trust that a cattle rancher in Montana and a

businessman in New York City have equal representation when casting their vote for a

presidential candidate. When an elected president only reflects the vote of a certain

group of people, like a businessman in New York City, we can not say that Americans
 Smith 4

are being equally represented. “Each state, no matter how small its population, has at

least three electoral votes, since the number of votes the state has is based on how

many senators and representatives that state has in Congress” (Spakovsky, Williams).

Thanks to the electoral college, we can trust that an elected president represents the

diversity of America’s voters.

Another purpose of the electoral college is to ensure political stability. “Political

stability is the condition of the government of the country that precludes the possibility of

open revolt because the government is governing correctly, people are content, the

leader is far from corrupt, and citizens benefit from all the policies” (Cram). The electoral

college encourages a two-party system. A two-party political system is one where the

electoral college mainly gives its vote to two political parties. The two major parties in

the United States would be the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. An example

of a third party in the United States would be the Libertarian Party. Third parties can

also be referred to as minor parties. This is because third parties are often on the

extreme side and do not appeal to a mass group of people. The electoral college makes

it extremely difficult, or even impossible for a third party to win an election. “The

absolute majority requirement makes it extremely difficult for a third-party candidate to

win the presidency because the individual states’ electoral votes are allocated under a

winner-take-all arrangement” (U.S. Embassy in Norway). However, some would still

argue that the electoral college is unfair for practically enabling a third party to succeed

in a presidential election.
 Smith 5

Figure 2 by Gallop News shows the percentage of people who believe that third parties are

needed and do an adequate job.

But the success of a third party in a presidential election could cause problems for

Americans and our government, leaving a two-party system the most beneficial. “The

two-party system is said to promote governmental stability because a single party can

win a majority in the parliament and govern” (Britannica). This means that Americans

can consistently voice their views through a certain political party. When Americans are

able to consistently vote through a party, that party will be widely represented

throughout the government. When a party is widely represented throughout the

government, it is can then be easier for officials to govern, “a two-party system

promotes centrism, less extremism, and that a two-party system is generally more

stable and easier to govern than multi-party systems which can become a hung

parliament” (Lumen Candela). On top of a two-party system being beneficial to

 Smith 6

Americans currently, it is also helpful when it is time for re-elections. “When there are

only two parties, if voters are dissatisfied with how the party in power governs, they can

vote it out in the next election. But in a system with proportional representation, even if a

party in power is thrown out from government by a majority of citizens in the next

election, it could still cling to power by forming a coalition with a smaller party. Unlike

other alternatives, the two-party system makes it possible for voters to signal their views

as to the effectiveness and desirability of the government’s policies” (Niyazov). Through

the electoral college, political stability is withheld by a two-party system.

Another reason the United States continues to use the electoral college system is

because it prevents many possible complications an election could potentially produce.

One complication it prevents is the chaos of a recount of votes. “The consequence of

this vote partitioning can be appreciated in the standoff between George W. Bush and

Al Gore in 2000. The electoral vote was closely divided, but the outcome was in dispute

only in Florida — which had 25 electoral votes then — and the recount was limited to

that state. At the national level, the popular vote was also close: Gore led Bush by 0.5

percent of the vote. Had the president been determined by the national popular vote, a

nationwide recount would have been likely, requiring tabulation of the 101 million votes

cast in the country, along with a consideration of the rejects, with their hanging chads,

questionable signatures and issues of voter identity; all this would have taken place

against a background of 51 different sets of rules on electoral matters” (Spilerman).

Getting rid of the electoral college would also defeat federalism. “Federalism is a system

of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government.

Generally, an overarching national government is responsible for broader governance of

 Smith 7

larger territorial areas, while the smaller subdivisions, states, and cities govern the

issues of local concern” (Cornell Law School). As stated by The National Affairs,

“Abolishing the Electoral College now might satisfy an irritated yearning for direct

democracy, but it would also mean dismantling federalism. After that, there would be no

sense in having a Senate (which, after all, represents the interests of the states), and

eventually, no sense in even having states, except as administrative departments of the

central government. We structure everything in our political system around the idea of a

federation that divides power between states and the federal government.” Federalism

allows Americans to live together, benefit from each other, and protect each other

(IDEA). The electoral college also prevents Americans from tyranny. If we did not have

the electoral college to prevent large cities from sweeping elections, we would slowly

become ruled by them. Large cities would win every presidential election, single-

handedly deciding the president for the entire United States. This would leave larger

cities more powerful than smaller cities. The electoral college prevents many possible

complications that can come from a presidential election.

The electoral college is an important part of The United State’s government.

Without the electoral college, large cities would dominate the country, meaning we

would lack equal representation. We also rely on the electoral college to ensure political

stability by encouraging a two-party system. The electoral college also prevents many

possible complications, like the chaos of a recount of votes, the dismantling of

federalism, and large city tyranny.

 Smith 8

Works Cited

Boundless. “Boundless Political Science.” Lumen,

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-politicalscience/chapter/the-

two-party-system/.

“Electoral College History.” National Archives and Records Administration,

National Archives and Records Administration,

https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/history.

“Federalism.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute,

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/federalism.

Guelzo, Allen, et al. “In Defense of the Electoral College.” National Affairs,

https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/in-defense-of-the-

electoral-college.

Hans von Spakovsky / @HvonSpakovsky / Laura Williamson / July , 2019, et al.

“Maine and Nevada Show Why the Electoral College Helps Small States,

Not Red States.” The Daily Signal, 22 July 2019,

https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/07/19/maine-and-nevada-show-why-the-

electoral-college-helps-small-states-not-red-states/.

“Importance of Political Stability.” Cram,

https://www.cram.com/essay/Importance-Of-Political-Stability/PJ9BJBYTTG.
 Smith 9

Matthews, Dylan. “Poll: Most People Who Voted in 2016 Want to Abolish the

Electoral College.” Vox, Vox, 24 Nov. 2016, https://www.vox.com/policy-

and-politics/2016/11/24/13731770/electoral-college-poll.

Niyazov, Sukhayl. “In Defense of the Two-Party System: Starting Points.” Starting

Points | The Place Where It All Starts , 15 Mar. 2021,

https://startingpointsjournal.com/in-defense-of-the-two-party-system/.

Posted by Robert Sinners 93sc on July 23, 2019. “Electoral College Protects the

Voice of Smaller States.” Republican National Lawyers Association,

https://www.rnla.org/electoral_college_protects_the_voice_of_smaller_state

s.

“Presidential Election Process.” USAGov, https://www.usa.gov/election.

Reinhart, RJ. “Majority in U.S. Still Say a Third Party Is Needed.” Gallup.com,

Gallup, 20 Nov. 2021, https://news.gallup.com/poll/244094/majority-say-

third-party-needed.aspx.

“Role of Political Parties.” U.S. Embassy in Norway, 12 Oct. 2016,

https://no.usembassy.gov/education-culture/about-the-usa/us-elections/role-

political-parties/.

Spilerman, Seymour. “Perspective | the Case for Keeping the Electoral College.”

The Washington Post, WP Company, 29 Oct. 2020,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/10/29/electoral-college-

recount-meltdown/.
 Smith 10

“Why Federalism.” Why Federalism | International IDEA,

https://www.idea.int/news-media/media/why-federalism.