New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has referred to as for the top of the Electoral School, saying the system that elects the U.S. president is outdated, convoluted and unfair.
“I strongly believe that the people of New York state and the United States of America should and must have their votes count equally, and that the popular vote should prevail,” she stated in Albany on Tuesday.
Hochul referred to as the U.S. Structure, which enshrines the Electoral School system, a “living document” that was designed to be “adapted as future generations and circumstances and times require.”
The Democratic governor made the remarks as she presided over New York’s Electoral School vote for presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who misplaced each the favored vote and the Electoral School vote in final month’s presidential race. The Structure requires that the Electoral School meet in December to forged its official votes earlier than sending the votes to Congress for certification in January.
Hochul famous that presidential candidates are spending disproportionate quantities of time in just a few swing states which have “outsized influence,” fairly than reaching out to all the U.S.
“Unfairly, less populated states have outsized influence, and in effect, the votes of their residents count more than the residents of a state like New York,” she stated. “Consider that a single elector in Wyoming — no offense to Wyoming — represents 200,000 residents and in New York, an elector like you represents 700,000.”
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The Electoral School has confronted rising scrutiny in recent times. Since 2000, two presidential candidates who didn’t win the favored vote had been declared the election’s winner, not less than partially due to the Electoral School vote. These candidates had been George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016.
A latest ballot by Pew Analysis discovered that 63% of People favor shifting away from the Electoral School system.
Three Democratic senators launched a invoice on Monday that may amend the Structure in order that the favored vote elects the president, not the Electoral School.
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“In an election, the person who gets the most votes should win. It’s that simple,” stated Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), one of many senators main the proposal. He’s joined by Dick Durbin (D-Unwell.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
“No one’s vote should count for more based on where they live. The Electoral College is outdated and it’s undemocratic. It’s time to end it,” stated Schatz.
