Is the Electoral College Racist?

Many people today believe we should end the Electoral College. They argue that it is a relic from a bygone era. They further allege it gives too much advantage to one major party (the Republicans) over the other (the Democrats), and they say it's racist.

Yes, in recent years, the Electoral College has been positioned front-and-center in the race debate. 

It's racist, critics argue, because... well... it was designed to prop up white men.  

Yes, that's the argument.  

If you detect any non sequiturs there, it's not because you understand basic logic -- at least according to these critics of the Electoral College and the Founding Fathers.  

It's because you aren't "woke" enough.

I just tweeted a thread (you are following me on Twitter, right?) that lays out the reasons for the Electoral College.  I encourage you to go read it.  (And if you're not following me, please do so). 

HISTORY LESSON THREAD

1) The Electoral College was NOT conceived as a bastion for white supremacy.

Those making that vacuous argument are completely ignorant of history.

The Electoral College was designed to protect small states from larger states. #ElectoralCollege

— Brian Tubbs (@BrianTubbs) September 2, 2020

Should we Abolish the Electoral College?

Presidents of the United States are not elected by popular vote, but rather by the states of the Union. Each state selects individuals designated as "electors," who then vote on the next President. These electors constitute the "Electoral College."

All fifty states now allow the people to elect the electors. What this means is that individual citizen voters are not casting their ballots directly for the candidate of their choice. Instead, they are voting to select electors committed to their candidate.

If you're confused about what the Electoral College is, let the folks at SchoolHouse Rock explain it to you...



The Electoral College was originally designed to empower the states and to guard against "mob rule." Many critics today are asking if it has outlived its time.

Historian H.W. Brands says that it has. Brands calls the Electoral College "anachronistic" and argues that it's time for it to go.



Political commentator and scholar Larry Sabato takes a more moderate tack. He says we should MEND the Electoral College and not end it.



What do YOU think?