Every four years about this time, news stories start to appear about the Electoral College, the constitutionally established system we use to elect the president of the United States. Invariably, pundits use this season to lambast and ignore the important role the Electoral College plays in preserving our republic. Recently the attacks have gotten worse, and they have even convinced four states (Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, and Hawaii) to enact legislation to do away with the Electoral College. Nationally, U.S Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) has introduced legislation to abolish it.
But before we discard the Electoral College, we need to understand its importance. As President Lyndon Johnson said of the Electoral College, "Our present system of computing and awarding electoral votes by states is an essential counterpart of our federal system and the provisions of our Constitution, which recognize and maintain our nation as a union of states."
