#66: Big Problems of the US Election (PART 1)

【Presidential】
America is often referred to as the beacon of democracy in the world – the shining example, the standard bearer. In all fairness, people’s strong sense of responsibility in our political trajectory and the vibrant involvement of our people in elections are truly admirable features of the American democracy. On the contrary, our 230-year-old Constitutional clause establishing the procedures of a presidential election has diverged too far from democracy.
 
We’ve just witnessed this dichotomy, once again, as Americans passionately engaged in a messy election last week where Biden won the presidency. Here, we’ll dive in deeper to better understand the American democracy by examining our presidential and congressional elections.
 
The fundamental principle of democracy is quite simple: the candidate with the most votes wins. To be fair, a greater number of votes by no means is a proof of justice, or is it meant to be construed as correct. In fact, there are ample occasions in which the majority is flat-out wrong. It simply means, at a given point in time, that it exceeds minorities in number. That's all it means.
 
Nevertheless, as long as democracy is considered the best system available thus far, it’s understandable to award a victory to the highest vote getter. Further, it’s even more desirable when the winning majority compassionately respects the minority, demonstrates sincere empathy, and assumes the grave responsibility of leading our society to a better tomorrow for all.
 
The troubling truth is that the US presidential election doesn’t necessarily follow this fundamental principle of democracy. That is, the candidate with the most votes may lose.
 
As a matter of fact, in the last presidential election in 2016, Hillary Clinton received approximately 66 million votes against Donald Trump’s 63 million. Yet, we all painfully know that Hillary lost and Trump won the election, despite Hillary getting 3 million more votes. Similarly, in 2000, George W. Bush won the election despite getting 540 thousand fewer votes. In the history of the US presidential elections, we count three other times when a candidate with the most votes lost the election.
 
How can that be?
 
The culprit is Article Two of the US Constitution ratified in 1788, which allows the total votes cast by the electors (Electoral Votes) to determine the winner of the presidential election, instead of the total votes cast by the American people (Popular Votes).
 
Whaaat?@!  I know, it’s unnecessarily confusing and frustratingly twisted, so let’s explain a bit more.
 
For example, the state of Michigan – known for its car industry – has a population of roughly 10 million, which accounts for just about 3% of the national population of 328 million. Of the 538 total number of electors required by our Constitution, Michigan is allocated 12 electors, or roughly 2% of all electors. In this way, electors are allocated to each of the 50 states and Washington DC, based more or less on population.
 
However, the real issue is what follows next.
 
In 2016, Hillary received 2.27 million votes from the people in Michigan, against Trump’s 2.28 million. Trump won Michigan by a razor thin margin of 0.2% in people’s votes, yet, all 12 electors of Michigan voted for Trump because of a winner-take-all method. As a result, Trump received 12 electoral votes, and Hillary received zero in Michigan.
 
With an exception of Maine and Nebraska, all 48 states and the District of Columbia employ this winner-take-all method when it comes to electoral votes. As such, even when a candidate gets fewer votes from the American people, the same candidate may end up getting more votes from the electors, thus winning the presidency.
 
As evidenced above, the US presidential election is an antiquated system that has, over the course of 230 years, diverged too far from the democratic principle of one person, one vote. In the case of 2016 election, 3 million people’s voices went unheard. This result is a clear indication of an undemocratic system, which has naturally invited many Americans to feel that Trump is not my president or an illegitimate president.
 
Thankfully, the presidential election of this past week honored one person, one vote. The candidate with the most votes won. Nonetheless, the electoral votes were on the verge of tipping the other way, yet again, despite Biden getting 6 million more votes from the American people.

​Let us all humbly recognize that each and every one of these votes is a rightful voice of a real person that must be heard.

Read Next: Big Problems of the US Election (2)【Congressional】

Complete Series: Big Problems of the US Election (1)～(3)
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