How 22% Could Win the Election

Popular Vote

vs

Electoral College

21.9%
49.9%

50.1%

78.1%

The Electoral College is a system thats supposed to protect the minority from the majority.
However, is it fair that a mere 22% of citizens could decide the election?
This most undemocratic of results is possible because of a quirk built into the system: states
with less people get more than their fair share of votes, like a greedy friend who takes two
handfuls of flamin hot Cheetos at the party. Our Founding Fathers made it this way so that
rural areas wouldnt get swept up by the whims of densely populated metropolises. Yet
because of this, one vote in Wyoming is worth four votes in California. To politicians these
super-represented states provide a tempting opportunity, offering more votes for the same
amount of effort.
Take for example, what would happen if you were a presidential candidate who focused on
only winning the most represented states. The region with the votes that count the most is
Wyoming, which is home to 0.18% of American voters but accounts for 0.56% of all electoral
votes. Also, since you only need more than half of votes from citizens to win all the electoral
votes in a state, 0.09% of Wyomingites can actually count for 0.56% of votes. Continue with
this hypothetical scenario, and you may be surprised by how quickly the electoral votes add
up.
The following table totals the number of popular votes required to win electoral votes
starting from the most represented state:

State
Wyoming
District of Columbia
Vermont
North Dakota
Alaska
South Dakota
Delaware
Montana
Rhode Island
New Hampshire
Maine
Hawaii
Idaho
Nebraska
West Virginia
New Mexico
Nevada
Utah
Kansas
Arkansas
Mississippi
Iowa
Connecticut
Oklahoma
Oregon
Kentucky
Louisiana
South Carolina
Alabama
Colorado
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Maryland
Missouri
Tennessee
Arizona
Indiana
Massachusetts
Virginia
New Jersey
TOTAL

Popular vote
0.09%
0.10%
0.10%
0.11%
0.12%
0.13%
0.15%
0.16%
0.17%
0.21%
0.22%
0.22%
0.25%
0.30%
0.30%
0.33%
0.44%
0.45%
0.46%
0.47%
0.48%
0.49%
0.58%
0.61%
0.62%
0.70%
0.74%
0.75%
0.78%
0.82%
0.86%
0.92%
0.94%
0.97%
1.03%
1.04%
1.05%
1.06%
1.30%
1.42%
21.94%

Electoral vote
0.56%
0.56%
0.56%
0.56%
0.56%
0.56%
0.56%
0.56%
0.74%
0.74%
0.74%
0.74%
0.74%
0.93%
0.93%
0.93%
1.12%
1.12%
1.12%
1.12%
1.12%
1.12%
1.30%
1.30%
1.30%
1.49%
1.30%
1.67%
1.67%
1.67%
1.86%
1.86%
1.86%
1.86%
2.04%
2.04%
2.04%
2.04%
2.42%
2.60%
50.01%

Thats right, a majority could be won and a president elected while being supported by less
than a quarter of voters. If youre part of that 22% this result would probably be an answer to
your wildest prayers. However, the other 78% of us would be more than a little dissatisfied.
Perhaps, riots would overtake our cities and society would crumble into the stuff of
dystopian young adult novels sans the passionate love triangles.
In fact that very situation occurred during the latest election. No, not the arduous choice
between a childhood friend and a brooding hunk: the winner of the Electoral College lost
the popular vote. As of November 20th, Hillary Clinton has received 1.5 million more votes
than Donald Trump (ABC News), with votes still being counted. That being said, the
difference between votes for Clinton and Trump are not particularly divergent overall, each
winning 48% and 47% respectively. Yet to some people this small percent is still too much.
The fact of the matter is that Americas voting system was designed to not be perfectly
representative. If youre unhappy with that, go back and ask Alexander Hamilton about it
yourself. Or just squeal and take a selfie with him while humming My Shot under your
breath. After all, the Electoral College has served America seemingly well since the countrys
creation, having failed only four times in history. However, if you still think that it is unjust
for the president of the United States to not represent the majority of citizens, or even only
22% of them, perhaps it is it time to take to the streets and start rioting.