Warren calls for 'right to vote' constitutional amendment, abolishing electoral college

[turbinetree]

"We need a constitutional amendment that protects the right to vote for every American citizen."
Addy Baird
Mar 19, 2019, 1:27 pm

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed a constitutional amendment enshrining the right to vote, which she said would bring some “federal muscle” to repealing voter suppression laws around the country.

She made her remarks at a town hall late Monday in Mississippi, the state that disenfranchises more people with felony convictions than any other in the United States.

Being convicted in Mississippi of any one of 22 different offenses can result in a lifetime ban on voting, and according to The Sentencing Project, as of 2016, about a full ten percent of people in Mississippi have been disenfranchised due to a previous conviction.

“How will you expand voting rights to the formerly incarcerated, ensure online voter registration, and non-excuse early voting?” an attendee asked Warren.

https://thinkprogress.org/warren-town-hall-right-to-vote-70987b9ddbbf/

[Moostache]

1. Great idea....never going to happen without a second secession and war though...

It took the Civil War and the absence of the southern states from the Congress to manage to excise slavery from the United States...we are as deeply divided once more and most southern states will vote against ANYTHING that they feel the "liberals" want. Even when it runs directly opposed to their own interests.

[Charlie G]

11. No small state will give up the power they have n/t

[BlueWI]

16. It definitely won't happen unless you discuss it.

Or, we could give up and stay silent about changes that make sense. It's out choice.

[Omaha Steve]

2. K&R!

[comradebillyboy]

3. I suppport that

[Ohiogal]

4. YES YES YES

[Renew Deal]

5. Warren is worried about the electoral college and tech companies when most people are worried

about healthcare and the economy. If her approach is to win over the edges of liberal geekdom, she might get those people. But she won't win the nomination.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. Agreed...she seems to be running for some office I'm not aware of

Maybe the purity applause office. I never know whether to admire Warren or be amazed at her lousy instincts.

It's like a golfer who hits lots of great looking shots in directions that can't help him at all

[BlueWI]

15. This seems like a very backhanded way to respond to bold ideas.

Do you agree with these ideas? If not, speak out against them. If so, support them!

Sometimes we in this party are so caught up in an abstract idea of "electability" that we don't advocate for what we want. Lousy instincts to advocate for change in the electoral college? After the last three Republican presidential winners lost the electoral vote? Wouldn't simple self-interest dictate that we advocate for a change in this archaic use of electors to decide the president?

Too much fear and not enough backbone - there are many days when I think that's the biggest factor in why Democrats don't win elections in proportion with their popular support.

[elleng]

17. She IS 'worried about healthcare and the economy,'

and I don't think 'edges' is her thing; she's too deep for that.

[LongtimeAZDem]

6. We need to fix gerrymandering, and ensure access to voting, but elimination would remove

the only Constitutional check on a provably tainted election.

[colsohlibgal]

7. Here Here

Dubya and even worse the abomination now in office are two reasons to jettison that dumb system. Minus the Electoral College neither win, Gore and Hillary do.

So I think working diligently to jettison that stupid system once and for all is important. It is bad enough that Wyoming and California both get two Senators, as do Idaho and New York among other examples.

[ProfessorPlum]

8. That is excellent messaging

great job, senator

[eallen]

9. The NPVIC has been enacted by states with 181 electoral votes

Colorado just passed it into law. New Mexico and Delaware may be next. Click the link, below.

It will be much easier to get states with another 90 electoral votes to enact the NPVIC, and bring popular vote to the electoral college, than it will be to ratify an amendment. Ratifying an amendment requires three-quarters of the states.

I would expect any Democratic presidential candidate talking about the issue of how the president is elected to know about the NPVIC, and be able to discuss it vis-a-vis an amendment. Ultimately, an amendment would be nice. Bringing more electoral reform than just the popular vote. But let's get the popular vote first. That will make an amendment much easier.



https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/

[backtoblue]

12. K&R

[mcar]

13. I'm liking what I'm hearing from Senator Professor Warren!

[BlueWI]

14. Kudos, Senator Warren!

Stand up and challenge the rest of us to do that too, to build the democracy we want to see!!