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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 1/25/17

The National Popular Vote--heard of it from the mainstream media?

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Does your vote count?
Does your vote count?
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Why is the media not railing repeatedly, chronically, at the structural undermining of democracy that is the Electoral College? There are plenty of obstacles to democracy that we cannot easily fix: political and financial greed, Citizens United, gerrymandering, the power of money through lobbying and electioneering. But this one we can fix!

Due to the Electoral College structure, the citizens of only one state, Wyoming, have full voting power. The citizens of thirty nine states have less than half Wyoming's citizens' voting power, and voters in nineteen states have less than a third their power. Two of our last three presidents have been elected while another candidate received more votes. That's not democracy! That's a sham, defended by complaints against large states, when in fact it is not states that should be voting but individual citizens.

This is important, and the media should rail about it relentlessly.

The National Popular Vote would correct the current unfairness by actually awarding victory in an election to whomever receives the most votes. The chart below shows the voting power of citizens state by state. There are thirty-nine state legislatures that have not passed it, and all of them--even Wyoming if it believes in democracy--should. When enough states do, America will be a step closer to practicing democracy. We will actually elect the candidate who gets the most votes. No Constitutional Amendment necessary.

The National Popular Vote neutralizes the political thievery of gerrymandering in presidential elections. It honors the ideal of democracy. Every voters' vote counts the same.

Why is the media not railing repeatedly, constantly at the structural undermining of democracy that is the Electoral College? If the media is to curb government wrong-doing, equal voting power for citizens across the nation should be a relentless cry.

The mainstream media normally gets news-yanked by the wayward and ephemeral. If our news fails to emphasize what is important, we will get the government we choose inconsiderately. This issue matters.

How much does your vote count?
How much does your vote count?
(Image by Dan Greaney)
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(Article changed on January 25, 2017 at 18:18)

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Dan Greaney is a graduate of Stanford and UC, Davis, now semi-retired from middle school teaching. He continues to work in university outreach and a variety of community, nature appreciation, and sustainability efforts. His novel The Worst (more...)
 

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