Debunking Two Electoral College Myths
Col Mike Walker, USMC (Ret)
#1. The Electoral College system is all about gaining the broad support of the states.
We formed the United States of America not America.
The union was never envisioned in another way. The key was and remains to keep the states united
To form the union the small states demanded that they be treated equally.
That led to compromise – the heart and soul of our country.
In the Senate, every state has the same power.
In the House, size matters and big states have more power.
That, in turn, led to the Electoral College (number of representatives + senators).
The country is vast and different and complex and interdependent. To define power entirely by head counts is both narrow-minded and dangerous.
If the only thing that matters is having a large population then divisions are going to rip the nation apart.
#2. The Electoral College did not strengthen the power of the major slave states – it weakened their power both in the Electoral College and in Congress
The key constitutional issue for the major slave states was Article 1.2.3 (the 3/5 count).
The Electoral College system favored the free states because they outnumbered the major slave states giving them more power in the Senate where 2 senators per state nullified the pro-slavery 3/5 rule.
The small states ensured the major slave states gained no unjust advantage in the Senate.
The slaveholding states lost power when the Senate and Electoral College were established.
