Staff Reports
Opponents of the Electoral College are making a push to get rid of it, claiming it is a bipartisan effort. They argue that even if the popular vote swung in favor of former President Donald Trump, their campaign to abolish the Electoral College would remain the same. Enthusiasm to abolish the Electoral College has intensified, especially after Democrats grumbled in 2016, when Trump won the presidency despite losing the popular vote. This has made the efforts to abolish it appear more aligned with the Democratic party. A survey done in 2023 by Pew found that 82% of Democrats want to eliminate the Electoral College, while only 47% of Republicans feel the same way.
Some people speculate that if the situation were reversed, with Trump winning the popular vote but President Joe Biden securing the presidency through the Electoral College, those in favor of getting rid of it would have a change of heart. However, advocates, including lifelong Republican Saul Anuzis, argue otherwise. Anuzis represents the National Popular Vote group, which is a coalition seeking to replace the Electoral College with the popular vote as the method for electing the president. He asserts that the movement is not about favoring one party over the other, but about championing a fair and equal system for all voters.
RCP SWING STATES POLLING AVERAGE
WISCONSIN
🟥 Trump 49.3% (+1.8)
🟦 Biden 47.5%
.
PENNSYLVANIA
🟥 Trump 48.3% (+0.6)
🟦 Biden 47.7%
.
ARIZONA
🟥 Trump 49.3% (+5)
🟦 Biden 44.3%
.
MICHIGAN
🟥 Trump 46.3% (+1.3)
🟦 Biden 45%
.
NEVADA
🟥 Trump 48.8% (+4.8)
🟦 Biden 44%
.… pic.twitter.com/LUegdIK2Da— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) April 28, 2024
Anuzis, who formerly served as the Republican chairman in Michigan, believes that the current electoral system does not give Republicans a fair chance to compete in all 50 states. He stresses the importance of having every vote count and not just focusing on key battleground states. Anuzis also highlights the constitutional basis for a popular vote, citing Article II, which allows state legislatures to determine the method of choosing electors. He argues that choosing electors based on the popular vote aligns with the Constitution and describes it as a “constitutionally conservative, state-based approach.”
Despite the larger support for a national popular vote among Democrats, Anuzis contends that it is more of a messaging issue and believes that many people do not fully understand its value. He is confident that a Republican candidate could win the popular vote and dismisses concerns that Democrats winning recent popular votes is a reflection of what would happen under a popular vote system. Anuzis is not afraid of running a national campaign as a Republican and is optimistic about the prospects of winning a popular vote election, emphasizing that the Republicans have never had the chance to run in such a scenario.
