All but two states, Maine and Nebraska, adhere to the winner-take-all method of allotting electoral votes. (Kernell and Jacobson, pg. 235) This means that the candidate that receives the most votes within the state receives all of that states electoral votes, regardless of how slim their victory may have been. All of the voters who were not in favor of the majority candidate go unrepresentative in the elec

Since electors are empowered with casting the states votes there is also a risk of agency loss. There is no Constitutional or Federal laws that bind electors to voting their states popular vote. Only half of the states bind their electors by state law or party pledges to vote the states majority opinion. ( National Archives and Records Administration, FAQ) There have been seven “ faithless” electors in this century, the most recent in 1988 when an elector from West Virginia voted for Lloyd Benson instead of Michael Dukakis ( Kimberling) Even though a faithless elector has never affected the outcome of an election, electors are empowered with a responsibility to large to risk such corruption.

It is not to be said that the Electoral College did not have validity at the time of it’s development. When the Framers of our Constitution were proposing methods for choosing a president they introduced many methods. The Framers did not want to empower Congress to appoint the president because to do so would make him indebted to Congress. They also did not want to establish a direct popular vote because it was their feeling that citizens would not be informed enough about candidates from outside of their state. (Kimberling) While this concern was valid at the time it no longer holds water. With limitless access to television, the internet, and numerous newspaper and magazines the public is no longer isolated as it was at the time the Electoral College was developed. This ma

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