The electoral college- the greatest vote suppressor ever

[ProfessorPlum]

19. You are thinking about it in a skewed way, I think

The system as it stands now disenfranchises almost everyone. If you live in a state that will definitely go Democratic or Republican, then your vote simply doesn't count, either way. The outcome is predetermined. If you live in a state that could go either way, your vote begins to matter a little bit more, except that the winner take all states dilute the importance of your vote, especially as the margins get bigger.

Imagine, though, that suddenly everyone's vote counted equally, no matter where they lived, no matter which party they were in. That would be huge. _Everyone_'s vote would count. Equally. Every Republican in a Republican state would be rewarded for voting, because they would be "cancelling out" a vote from a Democrat in a Democratic state. Likewise. Every voter in every state would have a direct, measurable impact on the outcome, regardless of article boundaries and geography. That's real democracy!!!

And think about how great it would be. Right now, candidates can essentially ignore what people in California want, or people in Texas want, or what people in New York want, because they already know how those states will contribute to their EC count. But a Republican candidate could go after votes from Republican Californians! Suddenly, what they wanted would matter. likewise, a Democratic candidate could consider what Democrats in southern states would want . . . and articulate those policies, and pick up votes! Right now, no one cares what Democrats in red states want - their votes are essentially useless, and wasted.

Direct popular vote would be a huge, positive game changer, in that it would make presidential candidates suddenly have to care what many more people wanted, much more than they do now.