The United States presidential election is a highly anticipated event that takes place every four years. It is a time when citizens exercise their right to vote and choose their next leader. However, the process of electing a president is not as straightforward as it may seem. The Electoral College, a system established by the founding fathers, plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election.
The Basics of the Electoral College
The Electoral College is a body of electors who are responsible for electing the President and Vice President of the United States.Each state is allocated a certain number of electors based on its representation in Congress. This number is determined by adding the number of senators (two per state) and representatives (based on population) that each state has. In total, there are 538 electors in the Electoral College. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure at least 270 electoral votes. This means that they must win the majority of votes from the electors.
The Role of the Electoral College in the Richmond, KY Election
Richmond, KY is a city located in Madison County, Kentucky.It has a population of approximately 36,000 people and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. Like all other states in the US, Kentucky follows the winner-takes-all system when it comes to allocating electoral votes. In the 2020 presidential election, Kentucky had 8 electoral votes up for grabs. These votes were crucial in determining who would become the next president of the United States. As expected, both major political parties, Democrats and Republicans, campaigned heavily in Kentucky to secure these votes. On November 3rd, 2020, citizens of Richmond, KY headed to the polls to cast their votes.
However, their votes did not directly determine the outcome of the election. Instead, they were voting for the electors who would then cast their votes for the presidential candidate that won the majority of votes in Kentucky. Ultimately, Kentucky's electors voted for the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, who won the state with 62.1% of the popular vote. This meant that all 8 of Kentucky's electoral votes went to Trump, despite him only winning by a margin of 15.5%. This is a clear example of how the Electoral College can impact the outcome of an election.
The Controversy Surrounding the Electoral College
The Electoral College has been a topic of debate for many years.One of the main criticisms is that it does not accurately reflect the will of the people. This is because a candidate can win the popular vote but still lose the election if they do not secure enough electoral votes. This has happened five times in US history, with the most recent being in 2016 when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost to Donald Trump in the Electoral College. This has led to calls for the abolishment of the Electoral College and a move towards a popular vote system. Another issue with the Electoral College is that it gives more weight to smaller states. This means that a vote in a state like Wyoming, which has a population of around 580,000, carries more weight than a vote in California, which has a population of over 39 million.
This has been seen as unfair by many and has sparked discussions about reforming or replacing the Electoral College.
The Future of the Electoral College
Despite its flaws, it is unlikely that the Electoral College will be abolished anytime soon. This is because it would require a constitutional amendment, which is a lengthy and difficult process. Additionally, smaller states and rural areas tend to benefit from the Electoral College, making it difficult to garner enough support for its removal. However, there have been efforts to reform the Electoral College. Some states have implemented the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would award all of their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.This would effectively eliminate the winner-takes-all system and give more weight to the popular vote.
