Electoral College Mischief

Electoral College Mischief

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The rap against the Electoral College is that it's undemocratic. As one recent newspaper editorial complained, "The majority does not rule." Strictly speaking, that's not true. The Constitution requires a majority of electors to choose a President; otherwise, the House decides, which hasn't happened since 1824. True, the popular majority doesn't rule, but only one Presidential candidate -- Samuel Tilden, in the disputed election of 1876 -- has ever lost while exceeding 50% of the popular vote.

Under direct popular election, the majority often would not rule either. In six postwar elections--1948, 1960, 1968, 1992, 1996 and 2000--no candidate had a popular majority. If it's an outrage against majority rule that President Bush was elected while receiving only 47.9% of the popular vote, would it be that much less so if Mr. Gore had won with 48.4%? And what about Bill Clinton, who mustered a mere 43% of the popular vote in 1992?

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