[EM] Re: making the electoral college obsolete without a constitutional amendment

[Rob Brown]

James Green-Armytage <jarmyta <at> antioch-college.edu> writes:

> Actually getting rid
> of the EC via a federal amendment would be extremely difficult, but
> gradually undermining it on a state-by-state basis is quite feasible.

Not sure why Colorado is doing this, but I doubt many other states will follow 
suit, since it severely weakens the state's influence.

Imagine a state which has 20 electoral votes, and which has 55% for candidate 
A, and 45% for candidate B.   Under the "winner takes all" system, there would 
be 20 electoral votes for candidate A and 0 for B -- a difference of 20.  
Under a system where it is proportional, there would be 11 for A and 9 for 
B....a difference of two.  The state has now reduced its influence by a factor 
of ten.

Why would a state want to diminish it's influence voluntarily, unless all 
other states agreed to do the same?  All it would do is cause the presidential 
candidates to ignore the state, when they otherwise might be interested in 
courting the votes of it.

-rob