This election may be the final straw for the electoral college. If the popular vote and the electoral college, are once more out of sync, representatives from the larger states might be stumping for its repeal next week. It would probably require a constitutional amendment to change it, but I’m not sure off hand.

When I was teaching Introduction to American Government, I would often struggle to describe this system to the class. Each states has a certain number of points based on their number of senators and representatives. And the winner in that state takes all the points, and the loser, even if he lost by one vote, gets nothing. I would make a diagram on the board and give some examples of possible scenarios. I would like to say that my clear and direct teaching style turned on 50 light bulbs that day, but the final exam showed that only 40% really got it.

Most people just don’t understand the electoral college.

Why have such a system, one of the smarter students would inevitably ask. Why not just count all the votes?

Well, I would explain, the electoral college assures that smaller states like Montana and South Dakota aren’t forgotten. And more importantly, it brings about a decisive winner. Those who win, win big, which protects our democracy from lingering questions and doubts about the winner. After the 2000 election, I added that the Gore/Bush election was an anomoly not likely to even happen again

Hah! Here we are again. I can’t use that line about the decisive winner again to my students again. Can someone please tell me what I’m supposed to say next semester, when the smart kid asks me why have an electoral college?