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The Founding Fathers had an inherent distrust for the common man. I believe this was born from the fact that many at this time lacked access to the issues at hand. This distrust led to provisions in the Constitution for Senators to be appointed by their state legislators. It also led to the creation of a “qualified” body of voters, the Electoral College, to choose our President. While the 17th amendment allowed direct election of Senators, the Electoral College still stands.
This antiquated system has changed the outcome of 5 out of the 56 Presidential Elections in history. The first such election was the election of 1800 when a tie in the Electoral vote had to be sent to the House of Representatives. In 1824, John Quincy Adams received only 30.5 % of the popular vote compared to 43.1% for Andrew Jackson. Since neither candidate received a majority of the Electoral Vote, this vote too went to the House. John Quincy Adams became President with a mere 30.5% of the vote. In the election of 1876, 1888 and most recently 2000 none of the winning candidates carried the popular votes.
I believe that the Electoral College is an antiquated system created for a time when we did not have the mass media available today. It keeps voter turnout low as many Americans feel that their vote does not count. I am asking you to join me and other concerned citizens by signing this petition to replace the Electoral College with Direct Election. |
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This petition is sponsored a group of middle school students under the guidance of their teacher that were angered when they learned how the Electoral College works. |
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the petition was created as the lawful sponsor.
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