-
Join The Bell Tree's discussion for today's first look at the Nintendo Switch 2: "Nintendo has revealed the Nintendo Switch 2."
Electoral college
- Thread starter nintendofan85
- Start date
We also use the plurality system, just like the US but with some differences.
My problem with both this system and the popular vote is the same: it can turn out that the minority of the population has their elected candidate in office while the majority of the population don't. This is even more of a risk with a popular vote, in my opinion, because I believe people are more compelled to vote third-party under the idea they'll have more strength. That means you could (very unlikely, but hypothetically) see a vote where party A win with 28%, just because party B lost out narrowly with 27% and the remaining 45% was split across many third-parties. Imagine if [insert your less desirable presedential candidate here] won office with only 28% of votes...that can happen even now too in my country with the "first past the pole" system but the parties are at least forced into a coalition to make up the missing majority, but seems less likely in the US because of how you have that "winner takes all" kind of system between states.
Anyway, I'm not really saying either opinion is "wrong" - my personal gripe with both systems is that minority vote can end up in office, and since popular vote doesn't fix that, I don't consider it a good solution.
My problem with both this system and the popular vote is the same: it can turn out that the minority of the population has their elected candidate in office while the majority of the population don't. This is even more of a risk with a popular vote, in my opinion, because I believe people are more compelled to vote third-party under the idea they'll have more strength. That means you could (very unlikely, but hypothetically) see a vote where party A win with 28%, just because party B lost out narrowly with 27% and the remaining 45% was split across many third-parties. Imagine if [insert your less desirable presedential candidate here] won office with only 28% of votes...that can happen even now too in my country with the "first past the pole" system but the parties are at least forced into a coalition to make up the missing majority, but seems less likely in the US because of how you have that "winner takes all" kind of system between states.
Anyway, I'm not really saying either opinion is "wrong" - my personal gripe with both systems is that minority vote can end up in office, and since popular vote doesn't fix that, I don't consider it a good solution.
Last edited:
hm I always thought the 2 party system is so established that 3rd parties don't even have a chance to rise
so even if people have a third party as their first choice, they'd rather pick a big one that's close to their values since they think that their vote would be wasted on smaller parties
but now I understand that the lack of coalitions and 50% + 1 majority would be a problem, just seems crazy to me that the us could just entirely ignore those concepts
the elections for the president have a first round all candidates can participate and then there's a second round where you have to choose between the first and second place from the last round again and the winner of that round becomes president (if there are only 2 candidates there's only 1 round of course)
this election is entirely separate from the governmental one since there you vote for the parties, 1 party would need 50% + 1 vote to be in office alone but since that hasn't happened in a long time there's always coalitions, party with the most votes in the coalition typically provide the chancellor who is the head of government, for some reason we split the role of president into 2 - chancellor & president
this election is entirely separate from the governmental one since there you vote for the parties, 1 party would need 50% + 1 vote to be in office alone but since that hasn't happened in a long time there's always coalitions, party with the most votes in the coalition typically provide the chancellor who is the head of government, for some reason we split the role of president into 2 - chancellor & president
Last edited:
it's antiquated and irrelevant now that we can get results with a much quicker turnaround time. there's no real point to electing people to vote just for president for us anymore. congress is a different issue because we don't necessarily want to be like Switzerland where almost EVERYTHING comes to a vote, it's too inefficient for a country as large as ours.
also the idea initially imho was that the electors weren't beholden to the whole state and made more informed decisions than regular laypeople and theoretically would prevent an incompetent individual from becoming president, regardless of how the country voted. this leads to some interesting shenanigans surrounding something known as the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, look it up if you're interested
that and the average person can't take off three days (monday travel, tuesday vote, wedsnesday travel) to vote anymore (nor should they have to), so just move election day to the entire weekend anyways. no-reason absentee partially helps this, but isn't an option in all states.
but I think personally the more pressing issues than the electoral college are fptp voting (ranked choice voting is much better and is a start, at least), FPTP is mathematically unrepresentative and will lead to a two-party system, which is bad), and general voting accessibility. while it's theoretically possible to win the electoral college with something like 38% of the popular vote (you have to win in less populous states), it's not that realistic due to how different voting blocs are.
But it is theoretically possible, so it should be addressed at some point.
well, the biggest problem is that political parties only argue for voter reform when it's beneficial to their job prospects.
also the idea initially imho was that the electors weren't beholden to the whole state and made more informed decisions than regular laypeople and theoretically would prevent an incompetent individual from becoming president, regardless of how the country voted. this leads to some interesting shenanigans surrounding something known as the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, look it up if you're interested
that and the average person can't take off three days (monday travel, tuesday vote, wedsnesday travel) to vote anymore (nor should they have to), so just move election day to the entire weekend anyways. no-reason absentee partially helps this, but isn't an option in all states.
but I think personally the more pressing issues than the electoral college are fptp voting (ranked choice voting is much better and is a start, at least), FPTP is mathematically unrepresentative and will lead to a two-party system, which is bad), and general voting accessibility. while it's theoretically possible to win the electoral college with something like 38% of the popular vote (you have to win in less populous states), it's not that realistic due to how different voting blocs are.
But it is theoretically possible, so it should be addressed at some point.
well, the biggest problem is that political parties only argue for voter reform when it's beneficial to their job prospects.
Last edited:
trashpedia
🌟🌊
Exactly and me too! This is my first year voting since I turned 18 at the start of the year. Even though I live in a *very* conservative area, I’m still voting and making sure that I do my part even though it’ll probably get drowned out anyways.
It definitely needs to go. I don’t even like how voting goes down in my country. It goes by majority by county (which is much smaller than a state). But many voices still aren’t heard.
Last time I voted in my country my county ended up giving the most votes for a candidate that I didn’t pick so my vote was essentially useless.
A vote should equal a vote in my opinion. Otherwise it’s not fair.
Last time I voted in my country my county ended up giving the most votes for a candidate that I didn’t pick so my vote was essentially useless.
A vote should equal a vote in my opinion. Otherwise it’s not fair.
same, it's upsetting that I'm considering moving to maine so I can vote third party without guilt, LOL
but sadly, job market dictates where I move nowadays yeep.
Tbh, I kind of wish I had voted third party since I’m in a deep red state anyways and none of my votes mattered. The viscous two-party cycle has to end somewhere.
It really depends. But the states always stay red in these states.. I worry how people will react if biden loses .. hopefully no more riots and barbaric acts ..
Yeah, could hope for a swing but yeah that electoral college is pure bull****.
States don’t need a voice the people do. The fact that the majority of the people don’t get to pick isn’t true democracy and is rigged from the start.
Abolish it
samsquared
飛べ
I mean, I wouldn’t be so quick to call anything at this point. Overnight, Biden was able to claim AZ & WI’s vote count flipped in his favor. Outstanding ballots are heavily favored toward Biden.
He only needs a slight majority in MI or PA to win the thing & he is currently winning in the popular vote.
Trump can’t afford a single flipped state from 2016 right now.
He only needs a slight majority in MI or PA to win the thing & he is currently winning in the popular vote.
Trump can’t afford a single flipped state from 2016 right now.
I want to make a comment about the use of “barbaric” and “riots” to describe what would be, if trump wins, not just an understandable but a wholly expected exercise of constitutional rights. (feels impt to note that most of the protesting up til this point has been peaceful & unreported.) it’s important to think about how you’re saying what you’re saying. Not everyone here is going to agree with your interpretation of the situation... and no one likes to be compared to a barbarian.
I voted for biden, but yes barbaric is the word id use, all the riots (not peaceful protests there is nothing peaceful about burning down a Walmart.) I’m scared, I’ve seen multiple groups on Facebook if biden doesn’t win they will burn things down loot etc... Instagram as well. Trump supporters also said they will shoot down people ... also burning, fighting, destroying private property isn’t a right.
Post automatically merged:
Also I looked at the 2016 election and biden has only managed to switch two states to blue.. how disappointing.
Attachments
Wisconsin and Michigan can still flip blue too
They haven’t for the last 30 years so I have my doubts ,.
angelcat621
Island Rep of Pookydise 😺
As a liberal in a red Midwestern state I feel as though my vote gets drowned out. In my own family I'm probably the only Dem. If the 2000 and 2016 elections taught us anything, the Electoral College needs overhauled or eliminated.
