Can We Please Pick the President by Popular Vote Now?

[Zorro]

The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in the “faithless electors” case is another reminder of how antiquated and undemocratic the Electoral College is.

The Supreme Court clearly got it right on Monday when it ruled that the Electoral College can keep working the way it has worked for the last 200 years.

The justices did not address the much bigger problem, which is the existence of the Electoral College itself.

In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Elena Kagan, the court agreed that states may replace and even punish “faithless electors,” the curious term we use for the direct electors of the president who cast their ballots for a candidate other than their party’s nominee.

According to the Constitution’s plain language, each state appoints its electors “in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct.” That power, Justice Kagan wrote, “includes power to condition his appointment — that is, to say what the elector must do for the appointment to take effect.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/opinion/supreme-court-electoral-college-faithless.html

[Aristus]

1. Amendment 28 to the United States Constitution.

1. The Electoral College is hereby abolished.

2. In elections for the Presidency of the United States, the total number of votes cast for each candidate in each of the several states shall be added to the total number of votes cast for each candidate in all of the states, and the candidate with the greatest number of votes shall be declared the winner of the election.

3. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

[Hoyt]

2. I'd bet it would have been 9 to 0 against had the case been about abolishing

the Electoral College by Court decree, because it’s in the Constitution. I don’t see an amendment very likely. Some believe states could change things among themselves that would make EC moot, but I’d be surprised if that happens anytime soon.

BTW: I’m not a fan of EC.

[PJMcK]

3. Nope

Why would the less populous states give up their electoral powers?

I do wish it could happen, though.

[BigmanPigman]

4. Makes sense... therefore it won't happen.