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Topics in the News: Electoral College


Cornel West on Government Reform : Aug 7, 2023
Public financing of elections; eliminate Electoral College

Public financing of elections with ranked-choice voting, eliminating the Electoral College and a national holiday for voting. Democratizing unaccountable monopolies and oligopolies with workers' control.
Click for Cornel West on other issues.   Source: 2024 Presidential campaign website CornelWest24.org

Mike Pence on Principles & Values : Mar 19, 2023
We all face the judgment of history, as will Trump

Q: You said that history will hold Donald Trump accountable. How?

PENCE: Well, we all face the judgment of history. And I believe, in the fullness of time, that history will hold Donald Trump accountable for the events of January 6th. I also think the American people will also have their say.

Q: Trump said in response to what you've said recently about January 6th that it was your fault. That if you had done what he was asking you to do, throwing out those electoral votes, you wouldn't have had a January 6th as we know it.

PENCE: Well, I know one of the attorneys that was advising the president said the same thing in a text on January the 6th.

Q: Yes, John Eastman.

PENCE: But his attorneys were wrong and President Trump is wrong. I know by God's grace we did our duty that day, to act out the expressed language of the Constitution of the United States. States control elections. Once states send electoral votes to the Congress, the only role the Congress has is to open and count.

Click for Mike Pence on other issues.   Source: ABC This Week on 2023 Presidential hopefuls

Joe Biden on Government Reform : Jul 6, 2021
An existential crisis, a test of whether democracy survives

Not even during the Civil War did insurrectionists breach our Capitol, the citadel of our democracy. But six months ago today, insurrectionists did. They launched a violent and deadly assault on the people's house, on the people's representatives, and on the Capitol police sworn to protect them, as our duly elected Congress carried out the sacred ritual of our republic and certified the Electoral College vote. This was not dissent. It was disorder. It posed an existential crisis and a test of whether our democracy could survive--a sad reminder that there is nothing guaranteed about our democracy.

But six months later, we can say unequivocally that democracy did prevail--and that we must all continue the work to protect and preserve it. That requires people of goodwill and courage to stand up to the hate, the lies, and the extremism that led to this vicious attack, including determining what happened so that we can remember it and not bury it hoping we forget.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues.   Source: White House press release on Jan. 6th Insurrection

Asa Hutchinson on Government Reform : Jan 24, 2021
The Electoral College is critical to our nation

While I do believe there can be an effective review always to make sure our systems of elections work well, the Electoral College is what is critical to our nation. I supported that, and his challenge to that was wrong and did not serve our nation well and it was demonstrated on January 6th.
Click for Asa Hutchinson on other issues.   Source: Fox News Sunday: Asa Hutchinson on impeaching Trump 2021

Bernie Sanders on Government Reform : Jul 17, 2019
Hard to defend the Electoral College

Sanders on Electoral College: It should be eliminated. 16 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; Jay Inslee; Amy Klobuchar; Wayne Messam; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Marianne Williamson. Twelve Democratic presidential candidates have explicitly called for the abolition of the Electoral College, while five others have said they are open to the idea.

Among those who support repealing it, the remedies vary. Some, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, said they would back a constitutional amendment. Four Democrats said they are open to abolishing the system but didn't explicitly back doin

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"

Tulsi Gabbard on Government Reform : Jul 17, 2019
Eliminate the Electoral College

Gabbard on Electoral College: It should be eliminated.

16 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; Jay Inslee; Amy Klobuchar; Wayne Messam; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Marianne Williamson.

12 Democratic presidential candidates have explicitly called for the abolition of the Electoral College, while 5 others have said they are open to the idea.

Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues.   Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"

Kamala Harris on Government Reform : Jul 17, 2019
Discuss eliminating the Electoral College

Harris on Electoral College: It should be eliminated. 16 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Jay Inslee; Amy Klobuchar; Wayne Messam; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Marianne Williamson. Twelve Democratic presidential candidates have explicitly called for the abolition of the Electoral College, while five others have said they are open to the idea.

Among those who support repealing it, the remedies vary. Some, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, said they would back a constitutional amendment. Four Democrats said they are open to abolishing the system but didn't explicitly back doin

Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.   Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"

Donald Trump on Government Reform : Jun 23, 2019
Electoral College brings you to many states

The Electoral College is tougher for a Republican to win than the popular vote. At least me. I feel that I go to three places. I went to 19 or 21 states. I went to Maine four times because I wanted to get one. And I did get it. And that's the beauty of the Electoral College. The Electoral College brings you to many of the states in this country.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: NBC News Meet the Press 2019 interview

Bernie Sanders on Government Reform : Apr 22, 2019
Citizens United is most disastrous decisions in history

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is backing an amendment to "abolish the Electoral College" introduced by Senator Brian Schatz, while Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders have signaled their willingness to address the Electoral College's anti-democratic impact, as have former representative Beto O'Rourke and former housing secretary Julian Castro. Possible presidential contender Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, says: "The Electoral College needs to go, because it's made our society less and less democratic." Buttigieg sees that move as part of a democracy agenda that includes ending gerrymandering, extending voting rights, and, probably, amending the Constitution to reverse the damage done by the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. (Sanders has already proposed amendments to overturn Citizens United, which he decries as "one of the most disastrous decisions in [the Court's] history.")
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: The Nation, "Electoral College," on 2020 Democratic primary

Bernie Sanders on Civil Rights : Jan 22, 2017
Women's March: never again second-class citizens

Q: The president responded to the protesters who were marching yesterday against him [in nationwide "Women's March" rallies] and said basically "the election is over, why didn't you vote in the election?" It doesn't sound like he is listening to those voices.

SANDERS: Well, I have the feeling the vast majority of the people who protested did vote. Mr. Trump lost the popular vote by almost three million votes. But I think the point yesterday, at rallies all over this country, all over the world, what people were saying to Mr. Trump, women are not going backward. They are not going to become second-class citizens. Listen to the needs of women. Listen to the needs of the immigrant community. Listen to the needs of workers. Listen to what is going on with regard to climate change. Modify your positions. Let's work together to try to save this planet and protect the middle class.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: CBS Face the Nation 2017 interview by John Dickerson

Jill Stein on Government Reform : Aug 8, 2016
Replace Electoral College with national popular vote

Click for Jill Stein on other issues.   Source: Stein-Baraka platform on 2016 presidential campaign website

Howie Hawkins on Government Reform : Jun 30, 2006
Abolish the Electoral College; support IRV

Abolish the Electoral College-Direct election of the President by majority vote through Instant Run-Off Voting. Proportional Representation in Congress-Representation for each party in proportion to the vote it receives.
Click for Howie Hawkins on other issues.   Source: 2006 Senate campaign website, hawkinsforsenate.org, "Issues"

  • Additional quotations related to Electoral College issues can be found under Government Reform.
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2024 Presidential primary contenders:
Gov.Doug Burgum (R-ND)
Gov.Chris Christie (R-NJ)
Gov.Ron DeSantis (R-FL)
Larry Elder (R-CA)
Rep.Will Hurd (R-FL)
Gov.Nikki Haley (R-SC)
Gov.Asa Hutchinson (R-AR)
Perry Johnson (R-IL)
Mayor Steve Laffey (R-RI)
V.P.Mike Pence (R-IN)
Rep.Dean Phillips (D-MN)
Vivek Ramaswamy (R-)
Sen.Tim Scott (R-SC)
Secy.Corey Stapleton (R-MT)
Mayor Francis Suarez (R-FL)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
2024 Presidential Nominees:
Pres.Joe Biden (Democratic incumbent)
V.P.Kamala Harris (Democratic nominee)
Chase Oliver (Libertarian Party)
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (Independent)
Dr.Jill Stein (Green Party)
Pres.Donald Trump (Republican nominee)
Sen.JD Vance (Republican V.P. nominee)
Gov.Tim Walz (Democratic V.P. nominee)
Dr.Cornel West (People's Party)

2024 Presidential primary also-ran's or never-ran's:
Ryan Binkley (R-TX)
Howie Hawkins (Green Party)
Joe Maldonado (Libertarian Party)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (D-VT)
Kanye West (Birthday Party)
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