Massachusetts Is A Perfect Example Of Why Electoral College Is Better

Every year a president is elected by winning the Electoral College but loses the popular vote, the cries of the loser scorn the Electoral College process. Keep in mind, Hillary Clinton did not win the majority vote as she, like Trump, accumulated over 60 million votes, it was still below the 50% vote. According to the Cook Political Report the votes amounted to 61,422,098 for Clinton, 60,637,350 for Trump with some six-million going to other candidates.

The Constitution provides that “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress.”

At a glance people would think that "blue" states like Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and California whose turnout was lower than the national average, would give Democrats even more votes in a popular vote process. Not true though as many Republican voters traditionally stay home at a much higher rate in those states knowing there is very little hope to give the Republican nominee a win in their own state. 

If the objective were to now be popular over electoral college, many more of the Republican voters would start to show up in these blue state voting booths.

But for those in favor of the popular vote, let me point to our very own Massachusetts as a perfect example of why it can be so unfair to some.

Look at the coalition of representatives inside the Route 128 belt or the Greater Boston & suburbs. Based on population, the glut of politicians representing that area, dominates the dispersing of funds for government projects including infrastructure, aka MBTA and many other things not found in say New Bedford, Pittsfield or Greenfield. These cities and towns are always on the outside looking in based on population.

Even federal money is fought for and brought, mostly to Boston by our senators who look to please the most populated areas for voting reasons. A bare minimum is provided for those of us who choose to live outside that Greater Boston area.