Opinion | It's risky business, but the Supreme Court should allow faithless electors

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Opinion | Jessica Levinson: 'While we can certainly argue about whether or not the Electoral College has served any positive function, it is meant, in part, as a safety net, to protect us from electing unqualified candidates.' - NBCNewsTHINK

and the District of Columbia require that electors take an oath and pay a fine or be removed if they become"faithless electors."before the court asks whether state laws that require electors to be faithful constitute a burden on the First Amendment rights of those electors.brings up an initial procedural question as to whether the electors have standing to sue and addresses whether the Constitution prevents states from enacting loyalty laws.

The oral arguments Wednesday were robust and, frankly, a thrill to listen to. The justices vigorously questioned the lawyers about the text and original understanding of the Constitution. The oral arguments Wednesday were robust and, frankly, a thrill to listen to. The justices vigorously questioned the lawyers about the text and original understanding of the Constitution, the custom and practice of states and electors in the centuries since the Constitution was ratified, and a series of potentially applicable laws. In one of the more lighthearted moments, Chief Justice John Roberts asked whether any limits are placed on electors.

 

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THINK Funny, but in Civics Class I learned that the Electoral College system’s purpose was to keep less populated states from having an unfair advantage over high population states. Prevention of election of “demagogues” was never mentioned. Where’d you find that?

THINK Then I’d say it doesn’t work...

THINK I doubt that the electoral college would even be in question if the Democrats had won the last Presidential election.

THINK End the electoral college. Why would we as the voting public want a person we placed in that position to vote independently. Time for the electoral college to be disbanded! It wasn't created to vote instead of us. We've outgrown it.

THINK Well that didn’t work.

THINK Can anyone tell me that NBC is the liberal media when they have opinions like this and Chuck Todd!

THINK This is the legacy they left us. Individual freedom and personal responsibility within the framework of law and order. When asked about the founding of the government he said Yes we have a Republican government if we can keep it. That’s paraphrasing. Now it’s in peril.

THINK Remember there were 13 diverse colonies with their own culture and laws. Each one wanted to throw off tyranny by the monarch of England. They united and did so. But they did not want to institute a powerful centralized ultimate authoritative govt. That’s what they fought against

THINK This is wrong. The purpose for the electoral college is: 1) To ensure against democracy at the federal level (tyranny of the majority). The founders chose a constitutional republic. Read Hamilton. 2) To ensure all states get a voice in the election of a president.

THINK Well, it flippin failed, miserably. Twice.

THINK How did that work out? Epic Failure. 🍊

THINK That 'safety net' doesn't work.

THINK The EC works, and is essential, because i don’t want to be ruled by the groupthink robots of California and NYC.

THINK It's is beyond time to abolish the Electoral College! Each person's vote should be important & candidates elected by the majority of votes from the People.

THINK Obviously does not stop unqualified candidates from being elected. And electoral college needs to be done away with. Faithless elector my ass. Just the fact it can be done destroys its validity. imo Everyone getting paid for “opinions” but me. So here’s mine for nothing.

THINK It's all well and good, until a Democrat wins the popular vote in a red state, and the electors choose to give the electoral votes to the Republican, i.e., another Trump. Thanks, but no thanks.

THINK 🤷🏽‍♀️🥴😮

THINK Hahahahahahaha! That's hilarious. What did you do in the last one? Voted in an idiot. Now look where we are.

THINK It failed in trump case

THINK isnt working

THINK Believe the Democrats have some kind of sleazy plan about this they always cheat, we have just realize how bad they really do cheat Democrats are uncredible fleecing America, say Americans R deplorables and just want to be in our checkbook. And aid illegals not vets. disgusting

THINK 'While we can certainly argue about whether or not the Electoral College has served any positive function, it is meant, in part, as a safety net, to protect us from electing unqualified candidates.' Assuming that this quote is correct how on EARTH did 45 get elected

THINK Nope

THINK Candidates must still win popular vote in each state, what's wrong with that?

THINK Well that didn’t happen. Trump was elected and shouldn’t have been. Just a method to cheat the popular vote.

THINK Oops. Time to rethink that one.

THINK What? & what was the F 2016 Election

THINK The electoral college didn’t work in 2016 and now we see the result. Trump is a complete and total failure. Period.

THINK

THINK Biggest flaw created by men in wigs and tights. Please improve it. Look at who we have in the WH. He can’t even write an essay or a Tweet.

THINK What?

THINK The Electoral College is an all for one, no matter how pathetic turn out is😡 Amazingly the most populace states have the highest % voter turn out, yet popular vote DOES NOT FUCKING COUNT😡❗️❗️ So glad fiefdoms mean more than 👉LIVES👈🖕🖕🖕

THINK Well that didn’t go as planned did it then! Must unqualified person in office now 🤦🏼‍♂️🤬

THINK A faithless elector casts their vote against the majority vote in their State. In 2016 there were seven faithless electors. Clinton lost five, Trump lost two. This number has only been exceeded once: in 1872, when Horace Greely died before the voting process was complete.

THINK Electoral college is a protection against the electing of unqualified candidates, 'LIKE TRUMP'. ?

THINK It CAUSED the allowance of an incompetent, insane president, how can it be any good?

THINK Bs it keeps big cities from making our decisions for us

THINK I say go with popular vote. We need election reforms!

THINK Errm... yeah... about that... I think it already has shown the opposite is true. 🤔

THINK The US is the only country in the world where the popular vote doesn’t count.

THINK If the general election went with proportional delegate allocation instead of winner take all, we'd be in a much better position

THINK So.... 2016 would say it didn't stop us from electing an unqualified candidate.

THINK Obviously it doesn't work. Time to make presidential elections popular vote..

THINK Well then it fucking failed.

THINK It failed...miserably Trump is president.

THINK Well it failed MISERABLY Jessica

THINK Unqualified candidates?!!!! You gotta be kidding right!!! I mean... oh gosh.... you literally gave him the presidency!!!!

THINK Get rid of it, epic fail!

THINK There's just no end to the left's willingness to steal an election! Get rid of the Electoral College, End binding delegates to vote the way their State population votes. You guys are demented!

THINK Oh FFS. I am 2nd to no one in my regard for the founders, but EC exists for two reasons racism&an ingrained sense of superiority. In 16, though the most stupid ppl chose a stupid president

THINK Really

THINK If that was true we would have donald trump as a president.

THINK It is part of 'States Rights' as people seemed to forget, States were 'invited' to the United States, which had rules. And those rules can be changed, there are provisions for those. But don't expect smaller states to give up their rights because 'you, now' think they should.

THINK ABOLISH

THINK It didn't work in two cases. 🙄😒

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