
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Speaking to supporters during a political rally in California, Minnesota Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz (D) advocated for the removal of the Electoral College. “I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go,” said Walz. “We need a national popular vote, but that’s not the world we live in.” </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In 2023, Walz signed an agreement that would force states to give their electoral votes to whichever candidate won the popular vote, regardless of how each state voted. The deal, known as the <em>National Popular Vote Interstate Compact</em>, would take effect if supporters were able to earn pledges from states with at least 270 electoral votes. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As it stands, a presidential candidate must win a majority of the electoral votes cast &#8211; that means at least 270 if all 538 electors vote &#8211; to win the election. In most states, members of the electoral college (who are elected by popular vote) award their votes to the candidate chosen by that state’s voters. Thus, it is possible for a candidate to win the election even if they lose the popular vote (this is what happened in 2016 when Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump).</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Eliminating the Electoral College is something Democrats routinely suggest after election defeats, especially in situations when their preferred candidate won the popular vote but lost the election. </strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz want to destroy our country’s fundamental rights by ripping away our freedom of speech through censorship, taking away our <em>Second Amendment</em> rights, dismantling the Supreme Court through court-packing, and now through removing the Electoral College,” argues Trump campaign national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. “Demolishing the Electoral College is every radical leftist’s dream because it will allow the coastal elites to determine our elections, silencing the voice of hardworking Americans.” ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Though it may sound fair to hold a purely popular vote, the reverse is true. If we eliminate the Electoral College, the majority of election activity will be concentrated in large cities and thus Americans living in rural areas would be ignored. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The reason the Electoral College was created in the first place was to prevent larger states from wielding too much power over smaller states in elections. The current election system forces political candidates to visit states that have different interests (this is the “Republic&#8221; part of the system). Because most large cities lean to the Left, Democrats believe that holding a popular vote would give them an advantage. This is not true, however, because Republicans would shift their focus to larger cities and the elections would end up balancing out<em> while ultimately being less representative of the country&#8217;s population. </em></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sources:<br></strong><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tim-walz-calls-elimination-electoral-college-california-fundraiser-says-it-needs-go">Tim Walz calls for elimination of Electoral College at California fundraiser, says ‘it needs to go’ </a><br><a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/electoral-college-explained">The Electoral College Explained </a></p>

Harris & Walz Want to Cancel the Electoral College
