Tim Walz endorsed eliminating the Electoral College at a Tuesday fundraiser. The Harris campaign later clarified this is not its official position.
  • adarza@lemmy.caEnglish
    54·
    1 month ago

    walz signed state legislation joining minnesota to npvic. it should be no surprise that this is his position.

    it’s not part of the dnc platform at this time. probably because it’s in the state’s hands right now (getting more on-board with the idea via npvic); and a big huge shakeup in congress (amendment-passing majorities) and state governments (enough to ratify those amendments) would be needed to do anything at the federal level anyway.

    • AmidFuror@fedia.io
      26·
      1 month ago

      The low population states have the most to lose if the Electoral College is overturned. Because they are disproportionately powerful under the EC, any candidate that threatens that power could lose support needed to win under… the EC.

      If people had more proclivity for voting for the greater good over their personal, narrow interests, a lot more wonderful things would happen.

  • Lexam@lemmy.caEnglish
    32·
    1 month ago

    Waltz had an opinion that is not the official party position.

  • The Snark Urge@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    1 month ago

    The American system is not designed to be kind to those who want to change the American system. It’s cool that he even said it, even though it was just an off the cuff sound bite

    • SupraMario@lemmy.world
      2·
      1 month ago

      The system is designed so that mob rule doesn’t happen. Unfortunately it’s also got the effect of allowing the majority to be ruled by the minority. It’s a system that’s difficult to fix. Realistically we need RCV first.

      • The Snark Urge@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 month ago

        The electoral college was a compromise with slavers. Since 1800, more than 700 proposals to change or get rid of it have been introduced, and we’re the only constitutional republic in the 21st century that still uses one. Direct democracy works fine.

        RCV would be an improvement, but with FPTP the bar is a tripping hazard in hell. I’d prefer something like STAR voting or some implementation of Condorcet, with mandatory voting and a day off to do it.

      • InverseParallax@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-10-02-0065

        There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to fewest objections.