EmperorOfTheWorld
3543
53
21
Current System
In this system, all but two (Maine and Nebraska) are winner-take-all. This how the map actually played out, with Trump beating Clinton with comfortable margins, while losing the popular vote.
Congressional Districts
This is the system that Maine and Nebraska use, where two electoral votes go the state's winner, and each district assigns one electoral vote. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the actual presidential vote results per district, so I just used the actual House of Representative results, and that shouldn't be too different. Gerrymandering ensures that Trump still wins by comfortable margins.
Proportional
Electoral votes are assigned proportionally per state. I calculated this by assigning votes to reduce the amount of total "error", as in difference between popular percentage and electoral percentage. There was a lot math, forgive me for any mistakes. It should be noted that while Clinton does receive more votes than Trump, no candidate receives the required 270 votes in this situation, instead the House of Representatives would decide.
MarkDavis93
People must've forgot that we are a representative democracy. If we were to change this system then we should get rid of states altogether
rhc54
Candidates campaign with the rules of the electoral in mind. Different rules would mean they campaign differently as well. Can't take (1)
SirLothar
This is really helpful, kudos for the effort. First time I see the alternatives presented with data and analysis.
shawnemack
This is cool, but I don't think your logic about assigning votes for congressman districts holds up. I believe NC would've gone 9-6 trump
SashoWolf
Been doing the same thing. Thanks for doing it first lol
rhc54
(2) popular vote as face value.
TheQuackenman
This is cool. Not sure why people are downvoting it
Mrspookywasagoodboy
The electoral college only changed the out come of the election 5 times so it really seem to me like it protects smaller states at all
Mrspookywasagoodboy
Wow, was supposed to say seems like it doesn't, wth
AStegosaurus
Because of the distribution of republicans and democrats, it can only screw democrats.
SLAANESHonNSFWposts
It's not really gerrymandering for population centers to be a district (urban areas are where Democrats are strong) it would be 1/2.
SLAANESHonNSFWposts
Gerrymandering to split large cities/urban areas in to segments and include them with rural areas with less population.
SLAANESHonNSFWposts
Because rather than each district voting the way they are likely to redrawing to include large amounts of opposition voters is gerrymanderin
SLAANESHonNSFWposts
And voters in a small area do not have the same concerns as rural voters so having their votes represent disparate areas would be fallacious
SomethingOffensive
Forefathers wanted to make sure smaller states had better representation. Why is this so hard to understand?
YourMemeSucksHarderThanaDyson
Yet they still get ignored as fly over state's so would you say that the founding fathers were right here?
ArcaneConjecture
OK, can we follow the Founder's Intent and let Electors vote their conscience? Conservatives love the Founders...except when they don't.
SomethingOffensive
Then tell the states that don't allow faithless electorates to fix that.
YourMemeSucksHarderThanaDyson
By this logic we should repeal the 15th and the 19th amendments because it's not what the founding fathers wanted.
YourMemeSucksHarderThanaDyson
Thats the worst logic ever was thinking that the founding fathers created a perfect system. They created a system that could be changed.
PatadoX
To be fair, we fucked the system royally in the 20s when we stopped adjusting for population growth and capped the # of reps .
SomethingOffensive
You can't fit 2000 reps in the capital
PatadoX
Agreed. I don't have a good compromise to solve that either, but that is when the representation got wonky.
kuruflnwe
Forefathers also had the individual with the second most electoral votes earn the VP spot. IT'S WHAT THE FOUNDERS WANTED!!!!
SomethingOffensive
I think the US might have preferred that this election.
kuruflnwe
Pence scares me more than Trump honestly. But just using the argument "The founders wanted.." is so weak.
SomethingOffensive
Exactly. Trump Clinton would be the elected.
ModernVoodooApostasy
If things aren't gerrymandered, explain the GOP house majority
Fextrus
People vote for president, but choose not to vote for their congressman.
NonStopCompliments
Except they don't get it (its turned into swing state focused), and rural voters have more voting power than urban.
TheVRay
Yes. Cities are necessarily more populous than rural areas so the system favors rural voters. If all counted equally, rural voters never win
TheVRay
Which is a problem. People need a win every now and again or they stop being invested in the system. They stop voting and start shooting.
NonStopCompliments
2. what the majority of voters want, just because they happen to be more concentrated?
NonStopCompliments
1. How does that make sense? Might as well give 3rd party voters 100,000x the voting power because otherwise they'd never win. Why ignore
TheVRay
Otherwise California and New York will have the power to tell all other states what to do
NonStopCompliments
So instead the midwest (or swing states) gets to tell the majority what to do? You see the logic fail there right?
ModernVoodooApostasy
Because nearly unpopulated areas were territories (not states) back then.
SomethingOffensive
They also knew that states that just entered the union would be less populated than established ones, but needed representation.
ModernVoodooApostasy
I'm fine with them getting representation. The system isn't the problem; gaming the system is.
SomethingOffensive
You don't think a popular vote system will be gamed?
ModernVoodooApostasy
Where did I say that? And where did I advocate popular vote, too?
KyloSolo
Liberals love democratic systems - except when it works against them.
BustedTuna
A place where the majority vote loses is not democratic, friendo.
KyloSolo
It sure as hell is.
BustedTuna
Are you actually retarded?
KyloSolo
Clearly, you are.
YourMemeSucksHarderThanaDyson
Might be.
KyloSolo
I mean you really are quite butt hurt, aren't ya? It's ok, snowflake... people like me defend the defenseless. You're welcome.