The Unrepresentative American Election
Published in Die Welt
(Germany) on 29 October 2008
by Gert Wagner (link to original)
(Germany) on 29 October 2008
by Gert Wagner (link to original)
Translated from
by Ron Argentati.
Edited by .
What is the peoples will?
Surveys show that Democratic contender Barack Obama will likely be elected president. Thats not as certain as some polls indicate, however, because the electoral system in the U.S. wasnt created to best represent the will of the people. It was created to create the most stable majorities, in some cases even against the will of the people as we saw in George W. Bushs first election in which his opponent, Al Gore, actually received more votes.
Individuals dont vote for the president, they vote for electors who determine in the Electoral College who will be President. They are, therefore, committed to select the candidate who received the most individual votes in that state. Its unfair, however, that all of the states electoral votes go to the winner. If this system were in place for primary elections, Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic candidate today.
The Electoral College system is skewed in favor of Republicans because the number of electors isnt determined by the number of people who actually vote, its determined by the size of the population. Due to the fact that many people in the United States reside in unincorporated areas, an accurate population count is hard to determine. Census figures are notoriously inaccurate and, at best guess, only represent around ninety percent of the actual number. In states with mega-cities, population figures are glaringly underestimated. This means their importance in the Electoral College is diminished. Democrats, who are especially numerous in these states are, therefore, at a disadvantage.
There are other oddities about the American system. Why, for example, is the national election held on Tuesday, a workday for most people? Back in the 19th century, perhaps farmers and ranchers had little to do on the first Tuesday in November and the choice was popular. But that doesnt hold true any longer in a world where the workforce is so specialized, where employees have to think twice about taking time off to vote. The bottom line is that the usual meager turnout at Americas polls, where fifty percent is considered a success, could spell doom for Obama.
In any case, one thing is obvious: Any telephone survey in the United States is more representative of the peoples will than the entire electoral system.
Surveys show that Democratic contender Barack Obama will likely be elected president. Thats not as certain as some polls indicate, however, because the electoral system in the U.S. wasnt created to best represent the will of the people. It was created to create the most stable majorities, in some cases even against the will of the people as we saw in George W. Bushs first election in which his opponent, Al Gore, actually received more votes.
Individuals dont vote for the president, they vote for electors who determine in the Electoral College who will be President. They are, therefore, committed to select the candidate who received the most individual votes in that state. Its unfair, however, that all of the states electoral votes go to the winner. If this system were in place for primary elections, Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic candidate today.
The Electoral College system is skewed in favor of Republicans because the number of electors isnt determined by the number of people who actually vote, its determined by the size of the population. Due to the fact that many people in the United States reside in unincorporated areas, an accurate population count is hard to determine. Census figures are notoriously inaccurate and, at best guess, only represent around ninety percent of the actual number. In states with mega-cities, population figures are glaringly underestimated. This means their importance in the Electoral College is diminished. Democrats, who are especially numerous in these states are, therefore, at a disadvantage.
There are other oddities about the American system. Why, for example, is the national election held on Tuesday, a workday for most people? Back in the 19th century, perhaps farmers and ranchers had little to do on the first Tuesday in November and the choice was popular. But that doesnt hold true any longer in a world where the workforce is so specialized, where employees have to think twice about taking time off to vote. The bottom line is that the usual meager turnout at Americas polls, where fifty percent is considered a success, could spell doom for Obama.
In any case, one thing is obvious: Any telephone survey in the United States is more representative of the peoples will than the entire electoral system.
We do have absentee voting in all the states. If you can not make it, you can vote early. I know many people who voted early.