re: #34 Anymouse

That brings up the idea that Constitutional Amendments are darn near impossible to pass now.

It also brings up again the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement being ushered into law in several states. (Interstate compacts are constitutional). The law as written and proposed to various states says that when 270 electoral votes worth of states enter the compact, they will all instruct their electors to vote the same way (for the person who wins the popular vote).

This makes small states (such as Wyoming or Nebraska) just as important as large states (such as California or New York) if the compact comes into force. All votes then become equal, and the states that are marginalised are the ones which are not in the compact. (Becoming an incentive to join it.)

Campaigning would then be across all states rather than just a few swing states. It would also render the Electoral College moot, since compact members would vote as a bloc for the popular vote winner.

Small and large states, Republican and Democratic controlled have joined the Compact, with more states considering the legislation.

Not sure it really benefits small states. Los Angeles county has 10 million people, that’s basically North Carolina. A purely popular vote would see the vast majority of resources committed to major population centers because not only are more people there, but the marginal cost of individual votes would be lower.

I’m rather indifferent about the electoral college as it exists. It’s a less than ideal system, but like most the rest of our constitution it is the result of a compromise. I’m not sure we’d get a better result today if we started over.