Should We Reform the Electoral College?

While controversies surrounding the electoral college have long existed, the 2016 Presidential Election serves as a major variable in continued conversations about its role in American politics. The 2016 election saw presidential nominee Hillary Clinton win the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, yet lose the electoral vote by 77—the largest losing margin of any popularly elected candidate in American history, and the second time a popularly elected candidate has lost the presidency in the past 5 elections alone. A re-emerging awareness over the impact of the electoral college as a deciding factor for the fate of our country’s highest office—evident in the clear concentration of media coverage and campaign resources in swing states during the 2020 election—opens the floor to further deliberation on how to balance the Framers’ original intents with the circumstances of modern-day America.

Each of the pieces below acknowledges that the current electoral system in the United States is flawed, but disagree in which ways we can address its most pertinent issues. We invite you to analyze the three takes of this debate to form your own conclusions about the utility and future of The United States Electoral College.