Strategists have learned how to manipulate, spin and falsify statistics, so it’s imperative that each and every vote becomes truly from the representative model of democracy the founding forefathers envisioned. The Electoral College has proven to be an obsolete albatross. Reform should give everyone an equally weighted vote. In 2000, Al Gore won 48.38 per cent of votes cast nationwide compared to George W Bush’s 47.87 per cent. Ralph Nader took 2.74 per cent.
In states where the result is a foregone conclusion, the Electoral College acts as a disincentive for a minority party individual to bother voting.
It is necessary to pass a constitutional amendment to reform the obsolete system. The 12th Amendment expands voting rights, but does not adequately reflect new technology challenges in our ever-changing e-world. The only just solution is a direct election of the people, by the people and for the people, where every vote is counted fairly and counts equally.
Charles Frederickson