For the past few years there has been a movement afoot to
do away with the Electoral College in favor of electing our president simply by
popular vote.
At face value, this might seem to create a simple and
streamlined approach to electing our president, but in reality it will serve to
minimize the voice of residents in lower-population states such as
Massachusetts.
By oversimplifying the electoral process, candidates
would concentrate their time and resources on the most populous states.
A more reasonable solution, not requiring a
constitutional amendment, would be to revamp the Electoral College and create a
hybrid model similar to the versions Nebraska and Maine have installed in
recent years.
This hybrid method takes into account the popular vote by
automatically awarding the overall state winner the two electoral votes the
state gets from having two senators.
More importantly, this model increases the importance of
congressional districts by having their electoral votes go to the top
vote-getters in those districts, as opposed to the statewide winner-take-all
method utilized in 48 states. Switching to it might put some of Massachusetts’
nine other electoral votes in play.
This hybrid method would have a very positive effect for
a diverse state such as Massachusetts.
Currently we are considered a safe state for the
Democratic Party, so neither candidate spends much time trying to garner
support among average voters. Campaign stops in Massachusetts are done solely
to fill the candidate’s coffers by meeting with the über rich rather than to
hear the concerns and hopes of the majority of voters.
In addition, I believe this will help spur debate and
participation in the electoral process. Instead of the nightly news calling
Massachusetts 30 seconds after the polls close, the votes will need to be
counted. If a candidate’s message is able to resonate with a particular region,
he or she would have the ability to win the vote of that particular
congressional district. Citizens would no longer feel hopeless and
disenfranchised because their votes did not matter.
The goal is for more people to become engaged and active
in our political process. Having presidential candidates spend time and
resources in the Commonwealth will enhance the political process and make
Massachusetts more relevant in the presidential election.
