The Electoral College was conceived along with the founding principles of
United States governance in 1787 with the drafting of the US Constitution. It was
created for two reasons: to create a buffer between the selection of a president and
population. The second reason was that the farmers want the Electoral College to
be part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to the smaller
states. The Electoral College refers to the group of electors who will submit their
votes for candidates based on the votes of people from their state. There are 538
total possible votes in the Electoral College, and a presidential candidate needs at
least 270 in order to become elected. The number 538 comes from the number of
members of the House of Representatives (435) plus the members in the Senate
(100), and an extra three for the District of Columbia.
The pros of the Electoral College are: It keeps smaller states relevant in U.S.
politics, it provides a clean, widely accepted ending to the election and it makes it
easier for candidates to campaign. Also, it keeps the two-party system strong. On
the other hand, the Electoral College makes people feel that their votes are not
important, it gives too much power to swing states, and it might clash with the
popular vote.
The Electoral College is good because it ensures the President of the United
States is selected by the constitutional majority. Basically, the Electoral College
magnifies the margin of victory and grants legitimacy to the winners. Also, the
electoral college now is enshrined in our Constitution, which means getting rid of
it requires a constitutional amendment, it is not wise to try to get rid of it.