Wed. November 15, 2000
Studio City, CA -
ELECTORAL COLLEGE, n. collective name for the electors who nominally choose the president and vice president of the United States. This group comprises the electors from the separate states who are selected by the voters in presidential elections. Each state is entitled to a number of electors equal to the total number of senators and representatives it sends to the U.S. Congress. Thus, each state has at least three electors.
The drafters of the U.S. Constitution devised the electoral system in an attempt to entrust the responsibility of voting to people whose choice would be unaffected by partisan politics. According to the procedure originally specified in the Constitution, the electors were to vote for the two most qualified persons without specifying which was preferred for president and vice president. The candidate receiving the greatest number of electoral votes would be made president and the candidate winning the second largest number of votes would be made vice president. A serious flaw in this procedure was revealed in the election of 1800. By voting strictly for candidates of their party, the electors gave Aaron Burr (candidate for vice president) and Thomas Jefferson (the presidential candidate) the same number of votes. As the Constitution provided, the election was referred to the House of Representatives, where a protracted struggle took place, requiring 36 ballots before Jefferson was chosen president and Burr vice president. Therefore, in 1804 Congress enacted and the states ratified the 12th Amendment, providing for separate electoral votes for president and for vice president.
Flash forward 200 years. As proven by the latest race for the presidency, the Electoral College has yet again demonstrated its fallibility. Isn't it time to discard this antiquated method for choosing the most powerful man in the world? In this era of global communication and instant gratification, shouldn't a more effective method for electing the President of the United States be adopted? The creators of www.electoralcollegepoll.org say, "Yes," and they're taking their message to the World Wide Web.
EiNetco Internet Services has developed a website which, unlike the most recent national election, allows the voice of the people to be heard. Visitors to the site can cast a vote in favor of abolishing, reforming or keeping the current Electoral College. Additionally, the site provides a forum with which to express opinions - a message board where users can express their love of, disdain for or nonchalant attitude toward the election process. Users can even rate other users comments thereby Up to the minute headlines regarding the Electoral College and the current race for the presidency round out the site's offerings.
But perhaps the best reason for visiting the site is to make history. After all, local politicians are informed of each and every vote/comment. Who knows? You and www.electoralcollegepoll.org may just play a pivotal part in rewriting the U.S. Constitution.
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