Is a vote for anyone else...

[dolfan]

Your vote elects electors to the electoral college.

And that process has already taken place hasnt it? I thought that when the November election comes around, our vote is only the "popular" vote, not the one that actually counts.

Electoral college meets in early December after the popular vote. The Electors can't convene until they've been elected by the popular vote. When you vote for your candidate, you actually vote for his pledged electors in the EC.

[forestwalker]

It has prevented a hand full of states from controlling the Office of the President, which could occur with a popular vote victory.

It does no such thing. What it does do is give a handful of swing voters in a handful of swing states disproportionate power in the process.

The ten most populace states could elect the President and the rest of the country could not prevent it.

If every person in those ten states voted for the same candidate, yes. If we're dealing in ridiculous hypothetical impossibilities, though, it should be pointed out that it's theoretically possible to win the electoral college with as little as 1% of the popular vote.

People really need to learn what form of government we have and how it works.

[TW]

It has prevented a hand full of states from controlling the Office of the President, which could occur with a popular vote victory.

It does no such thing. What it does do is give a handful of swing voters in a handful of swing states disproportionate power in the process.

forestwalker, may I direct your attention to http://www.archives.gov/federal-registe ... ml#history where you will find the following statement:

The founders of the nation devised the Electoral College system as part of their plan to share power between the States and the national government. Under the Federal system adopted in the U.S. Constitution, the nation-wide popular vote has no legal significance. As a result, it is possible that the electoral votes awarded on the basis of State elections could produce a different result than the nation-wide popular vote. Nevertheless, the individual citizen's vote is important to the outcome of each State election.

The Electoral College is one of the last viable visages of State Rights left. It was adopted by our country's founders to preserve the rights of those people that were not from heavily populated states.

forestwalker wrote:

If we're dealing in ridiculous hypothetical impossibilities, though, it should be pointed out that it's theoretically possible to win the electoral college with as little as 1% of the popular vote.

What I stated was a hypothetical improbability, not impossibility. What you have stated would come closer to that "impossibility." I'm going to crush some numbers and see if it could be done. As of now I doubt it, but I am open to proof otherwise.

Don't roll your eyes, they might get stuck like that. The fact is that most Americans believe that they live in a democracy.


TW

[Full Quiver]

pledged electors

Pledges means they can actually vote any way that they personally please no matter how their state or district votes.

California carries about 20% of the electoral votes needed to win. That means California does have more of a voice than many other states combined. Rhode Island could never yield so much power because Congress drew the boundaries of California and Cali has the land mass to include many more people. We could redistrict the electoral college and set up regions that could include parts of states such as part of New Mexico, AZ, California, Nevada could be a region. Then maybe part of TN, Kentucky, AL, and MS could be a region, etc. Sort of like the Congressional districts that make up states. This could balance out the electoral college and FORCE candidates to truly campaign in all the country instead of "battle ground" states and heavily populated states with big electoral numbers. It would also throw out the blue and red state theories.

[DaJudge]

pledged electors

Pledges means they can actually vote any way that they personally please no matter how their state or district votes.

Actually, some states (about half of them) make it a criminal offense for a pledged elector to change his or her vote. In those states they could go to jail for doing what you suggest.

[MacUser]

Yep. A conservative, moderate or republican vote for third party is a vote cast for Obama. We can't afford Obama.

All Liberals.. feel free to vote Third Party.

[Jennifer Smith]

Your vote elects electors to the electoral college.

And that process has already taken place hasnt it? I thought that when the November election comes around, our vote is only the "popular" vote, not the one that actually counts.

No, I believe that takes place after the popular vote, as we designate by state (by our votes) whom the electoral college should vote for. In other words, Obama could have more votes nationwide, but by state (electoral votes) McCain could actually have more... at least, that is the way I understand it.

[Jennifer Smith]

I agree with Eagerbeaver... if you KNOW which way your state will go, then make a statement with your vote if you so choose, and vote for a third party, there is nothing wrong with that.