OPINION: Thoughts on previous Letter to the Editor regarding the electoral college

The recent letter to the editor regarding the Electoral College and the attempt by “Democrats” to “violate” the Constitution ignores the very history of the document and our republic. The funders recognized their own fallibility and gave future generations the ability to amend that very document. For example, the Constitution has been amended to allow for the direct election of U.S. Senators (something the funding father had not intended). We have made changes to give women the right to vote, to give citizens age 18 and above the right to vote, to give former slaves the right to vote. None of these were included in the original Constitution.

Eliminating the Electoral College would require a Constitutional Amendment, which is by definition Constitutional. Changing the way states apportion their electors does not require a Constitutional Amendment as the document makes clear this is a matter that is left to the states to determine for themselves. Most states award all their electors to whichever candidate wins a majority of the popular vote in their sate but not all do. Some split their electoral votes.

States are also equally within their Constitutional rights to award all their electors to the candidate that wins the national popular vote. We can disagree about the merit of this proposal, but it is certainly not illegal or unconstitutional. A national popular vote would mean that every vote in every state counts equally. Presidential candidates would be incentivized to go after all our votes and not focus on a handful of swing states as they do now. I am very respectful of the wisdom of the founding fathers and I am hesitant to alter our current system, but I see merit on both sides and no reason to attack or demonize anyone.

Jorge Amselle
Front Royal, Virginia