Lofgren Reintroduces Amendment to Abolish Electoral College
January 6, 2005
Media Contact: Heather Wong, 202.225.3072
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) announced today that she plans to reintroduce a resolution to abolish the Electoral College and to provide for the direct election for President and Vice President of the United States. Rep Lofgren first introduced the resolution at the close of the 108th Congress.
“During the 2004 election, voters in nine or ten 'swing states' garnered all the attention of the Presidential candidates. The only reason for that is the Electoral College. This system may have made sense two hundred years ago, but today it is outdated and flawed. National campaigns should not be conducted solely in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Lofgren. “As the Electoral College meets today to cast their votes for President and Vice President, I urge the 109th Congress to begin an open debate about replacing the current system with a direct election.”
Under the Electoral College system, each state is apportioned electors equal to the number of Senators and Representatives from that state. As a result, every state, no matter how small, is guaranteed at least 3 electoral votes. This system favors sparsely populated states at the expense of voters in large states like California.
For example, Wyoming, with its 500,000 residents, has one elector for every 165,000 people; in contrast, California, with over 35 million residents, has one elector for every 635,000 people. A vote cast in Wyoming, therefore, has about four times the weight in the Electoral College as a vote cast in California.
“The elimination of the Electoral College should not be a large versus small state issue, rather this is about ensuring that voters in all states have their voices heard and their votes counted equally. In the most recent presidential election, states such as Connecticut and Montana were ignored just as much as California and Texas. It is important for all states to participate in the process, not just those considered “swing states” to ensure that the President truly represents the entire country," Rep. Lofgren continued.
If passed by a 2/3 margin in the House and Senate, the Lofgren amendment to the Constitution needs to be ratified by 3/4 of state legislatures within seven years to become law.
Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) plans to introduce a similar resolution in the Senate this week.
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) announced today that she plans to reintroduce a resolution to abolish the Electoral College and to provide for the direct election for President and Vice President of the United States. Rep Lofgren first introduced the resolution at the close of the 108th Congress.
“During the 2004 election, voters in nine or ten 'swing states' garnered all the attention of the Presidential candidates. The only reason for that is the Electoral College. This system may have made sense two hundred years ago, but today it is outdated and flawed. National campaigns should not be conducted solely in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Lofgren. “As the Electoral College meets today to cast their votes for President and Vice President, I urge the 109th Congress to begin an open debate about replacing the current system with a direct election.”
Under the Electoral College system, each state is apportioned electors equal to the number of Senators and Representatives from that state. As a result, every state, no matter how small, is guaranteed at least 3 electoral votes. This system favors sparsely populated states at the expense of voters in large states like California.
For example, Wyoming, with its 500,000 residents, has one elector for every 165,000 people; in contrast, California, with over 35 million residents, has one elector for every 635,000 people. A vote cast in Wyoming, therefore, has about four times the weight in the Electoral College as a vote cast in California.
“The elimination of the Electoral College should not be a large versus small state issue, rather this is about ensuring that voters in all states have their voices heard and their votes counted equally. In the most recent presidential election, states such as Connecticut and Montana were ignored just as much as California and Texas. It is important for all states to participate in the process, not just those considered “swing states” to ensure that the President truly represents the entire country," Rep. Lofgren continued.
If passed by a 2/3 margin in the House and Senate, the Lofgren amendment to the Constitution needs to be ratified by 3/4 of state legislatures within seven years to become law.
Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) plans to introduce a similar resolution in the Senate this week.
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