It’s pretty sad that, essentially a year into Donald Trump’s presidency, we still have to explain how and why the Electoral College functions.
While it’s definitely true Donald Trump lost the popular vote despite winning the election overall, he benefitted from a system the Founders knew was necessary to prevent the destruction of the Union.
One of the foundational concerns of the Framers of the Constitution was the premise of large states overpowering smaller ones by simply out-voting them. To alleviate this, they set up the Electoral College as a check against tyranny by simple majority, a characteristic that still makes America unique in the democratic world.
In this instance, the Electoral College prevents states like New York and California from essentially deciding every election — which they will certainly have the potential to do in the event the practice is scrapped. Because of this, voters in places like Wyoming or North Dakota are more fairly represented.
~ Facts Not Memes
