The Future of the Electoral College in the 2024 Washington Election
Background
The Electoral College is a system used to elect the President of the United States. Each state is allotted a certain number of electors, based on its population. These electors are chosen by the voters in each state, and they meet to cast their votes for the President. The candidate who receives the majority of electoral votes wins the election.
In the 2024 election, the Electoral College will consist of 538 electors. The number of electors each state receives is based on its population, with each state receiving at least one elector. California has the most electors, with 55, while Wyoming has the fewest, with three.
Current Landscape
The Electoral College has been a source of controversy in recent years. Some argue that it is an outdated system that does not accurately reflect the will of the people. In the 2016 election, for example, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, but Donald Trump won the Electoral College and thus the presidency.
Others argue that the Electoral College is necessary to protect the interests of small states. Without the Electoral College, candidates would only campaign in large states, and small states would have no voice in the election.
Potential Changes
There are a number of proposals to change or abolish the Electoral College. One proposal is to use a popular vote system, in which the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide wins the election. Another proposal is to use a proportional system, in which the electors are allocated to each candidate based on the percentage of votes they receive.
It is unclear whether any of these proposals will be adopted in the near future. The Electoral College is enshrined in the Constitution, and changing it would require a constitutional amendment. Such an amendment would need to be approved by two-thirds of both the House and the Senate, and then ratified by three-fourths of the states.
Conclusion
The Electoral College is a complex and controversial system that has been a part of American democracy for over 200 years. It is unclear whether the Electoral College will continue to be used in the future, but it is a topic that is likely to continue to be debated in the years to come.