I Can't Wait to Vote

The lectures this week focused on how the different electoral systems work. Each system allows for voters to present their preferences and each system uses those preferences differently to allocate seats. Every one of the five systems we learned about has its own benefits and each one is in place in modern elections for a reason. We learned about the five systems, but Pr. King didn’t mention which system is the best. That is because there is no “perfect” electoral system. Each system has its own benefits to the people and the candidates and each system has its own flaws. The US electoral systems have some major flaws. The plurality system used in the US allows for a candidate to be elected with less than 50% of the votes, meaning a majority of people can vote against someone and that someone can win the election. There is something wrong with that; however it is not the worst part of the American electoral system. The Electoral College, the method used to select the leader of the free world, is an unfair political practice. I wrote a paper about the flaws of the Electoral College last semester; however, sadly my computer broke this summer and I had to get a new one so I can’t use my paper and dazzle you with amazing statistics or facts. What I did learn from writing that paper is that a republican vote in California is worth far less than any vote in a swing state such as Ohio. This doesn’t seem to be fair to a large number of Californians who happen to be Republicans living in a blue state. The Electoral College penalizes and benefits people for where they live. That doesn’t seem fair to me. Being a McCain supporter from California, I can’t wait to have my voice herd in the upcoming election.