Catherine Bray is Director of International Relations at the American Legislative Exchange Council in Washington, DC, and U.S. Executive Director of the Atlantic Bridge.
The Washington political community loves a tightly run race and the Democrats are currently putting on a terrific show. Election pundits are convinced the race will run all the way to the August Democratic Convention in Denver. If this does happen, Florida could find itself the centerpiece of another major political scuffle since the Democratic delegates have been disenfranchised for defying party rules and holding early primaries (For the record Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama by a 2-1 margin in Florida). The Sunshine State was of course at the heart of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore election drama, when the final result was delayed for 36 days. But what if there was a repeat of this kind of electoral uncertainty in 2008? It would undoubtedly stir up the debate between supporters of the current electoral system and those that are quietly working to replace it.
The system by which America selects its President is known as the Electoral College. This month, the Governor of Illinois (a Democrat), is considering signing a bill that would take the U.S. one step closer to a system of direct democracy. Obtaining one nationwide popular majority is a far simpler task than winning concurrent majorities across 50 states. Many liberals believe that changing America’s system for electing its President will raise their candidates’ chances of winning.
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