15 states are trying to make the electoral college obselete (nytimes.com)

Article summary

The article discusses an effort by 15 states to make the electoral college obsolete by signing a compact to award their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner. This move aims to ensure that the president is elected based on the popular vote. The compact would only take effect if enough states join to represent a majority of the electoral votes. The discussion revolves around the potential implications and effectiveness of this approach.

Main themes

• electoral college reform
• national popular vote
• state power and influence
• presidential election process
• voting systems

What commenters say

• The compact could lead to a situation where a state's electors vote against the popular vote in that state, potentially resulting in the election of an undesired president.
• The national popular vote winner would be the sole focus, making the electoral college votes a formality.
• Some argue that the compact's design could lead to upset voters in states where the popular vote favored a different candidate.
• Others believe that this is a necessary step towards a more democratic system, where every vote counts equally.
• The compact's effectiveness relies on enough states joining to represent a majority of the electoral votes, and some question the incentives for politicians to adopt this in their own state.
• The current system is seen as favoring rural areas or swing states, while the proposed system would favor populous states.
• There are concerns about the potential for states to renege on the compact, and the mechanisms for enforcing it are unclear.
• The discussion also touches on the idea of abolishing the winner-takes-all system, which could lead to a more representative government.