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Article: Should we elect the president by popular vote? After hundreds of attempts to abolish Electoral College, opponents are promoting a plan to work around it.(DEBATE)(Viewpoint essay)
- Article from:
- New York Times Upfront
- Article date:
- February 25, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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YES
With the Electoral College, voters in two-thirds of the states are effectively disenfranchised from choosing the President because they do not live in closely divided "battleground" states.
Presidential candidates now have no reason to campaign in states they are sure of winning or losing. In recent elections, candidates have spent two thirds of their time and money in six closely divided states--Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota-and 99 percent of their ad dollars in 16 states.
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Another shortcoming of the Electoral College is that a candidate can win the presidency without winning ...