is our election process fair??

im not clear on how it works. it would make sense that if you get the most votes, you win right?? not the case with the bush and gore election though. electorial votes?? what the hell is that all about??? in my opinion, only those who vote should be considered in a election. the MAJORITY of actual votes should be the only thing considered in a election. if gore had the most actual votes, how is it not the will of the american people that he be president?? or was it?? what would our country be like now had the will of the people been acted on?? whats wrong with keeping it simple and saying the person with the most votes wins?? that is actually how the average person in america thinks it realy works anyways. PLEASE, .intelligent, educated responses only......... thanks for the response kimberly........but , it works?? safeguards against corruption?? i think our countries current situation is plenty of proof that it does not work. as for corruption, we will be hearing about the corruption of the bush administration for many years to come im afraid....... in addition i feel that votes should be cast electronically as well as a signed hard copy from the voter. OH,...... AND JIRO BELOW, HES A LITTLE UPSET, COUGHT HIS BOYFRIEND CHEATING ON HIM.........

Public Comments

1. It may not be "omg fair" in the strictest sense, but it works. True, we are much more tech advanced and connected than we were when the electoral college was created, however it helps to lower the threat of voter fraud by keeping it as a by state basis than by individual vote basis. If one state has corrupt officials throwing the numbers (especially scary thought now in the computer age with the push for electronic votes... so easy to manipulate for someone that knows what they're doing,) this will only affect one state, and not the whole. There are reasons that they have not changed it over, because it has been discussed at a national level. We actually discussed it in one of the political science classes I took in college, and the prof told us many reasons why it would be bad to be a literal democracy (ie: it doesn't usually work out based on history, there has been no longevity successful true democracy ever in the history of the world) BTW, the 2000 event is not the first time in history that someone with actual votes lost to someone with more electoral votes. In the 1800's, another president won that way.
2. The electoral college wasn't the cause of the crooked shamlections of 2000 AND 2004. The Repukes did FAR more than that to see that Dictator Dumbya "won". It got as far as saying that even if Gore PROVED to have won FL, even AFTER the crooked voting machines and caging lists, that the Repuke State legislature would step in and send a Repuke delegation to the electoral college.
3. You are absolutely correct. The electoral college is outdated. With our current computer systems and ability to quickly and efficiently ( usually) count votes it is no longer necessary to have a system in place to decide elections if the popular vote does not show a majority. The electoral college was designed in the 1800's as a safeguard to decide elections when the popular vote was close largely due to the fact that election results were sometimes months in arriving from far away territories and states. I believe it disenfranchises voters. It needs to be abolished before people start believing that their vote no longer counts. We have enough trouble getting people to care enough to vote!
4. I agree that the candidate with the most votes should win. The electoral college gives disproportionate power to the 2 party system and encourages what I call "defensive voting" (voting for the lesser of 2 evils because with our current system 3rd parties can only act as 'spoilers' and have no real chance of winning or effecting true change) We need to enact different process which gives the vote back to the individuals, I personally am in favor of 'instant run-off' voting which ensures that we have a chance to vote our conscience first and then if our choice doesn't make it through the first round we at least have a vote in the remaining candidates. ps. The Electoral College was established to prevent the people from making "uneducated" decisions. The founders feared the easily-swayed opinions of the public and designed the Electoral College as a protection from the easily-swayed public. So much "for the people, by the people . . ."
5. Fair is not what is being sought with the electoral college . It's main function is to give the appearance that each State has some control over the outcome of the election. The fatal flaw with this is only a very few can control the power. Several groups have figure out how to ramrod the system in recent years making the voting in the U.S. a joke more and more people don't vote because they see it as fruitless. The only time you get big turn outs is with lots of people bringing extra people out to vote that don't care but would like a car ride. Our system needs an overhaul and no matter what is done it will not be fair as long a dishonesty is the holy land of politicians
6. educated educated! fuck you!! if your so educated why dnt you answer it yourself!!!