‘Top two’ ballot would work for presidential elections

Published 1:30 am Monday, November 14, 2016

The Electoral College gives smaller and rural states an advantage, which is probably OK, but winner take all essentially disenfranchises up to 49.9 percent of the people who voted in that state and could disenfranchise the majority of the American voters. Dividing the electoral college votes proportionally, as do Maine and Nebraska, would retain a rural state’s advantage but not disenfranchise voters in the minority. Politicians would need to campaign in all states, not just “swing” states. And why not just divide the electoral college votes, rather than the arcane practice of having electors chosen to vote in December and votes counted in a joint session of Congress in January?

A better reflection of the will of the people would be a “top two” ballot, where other votes are counted if neither candidate has a majority. There are many who who would have preferred to vote for a third-party, but did not want to “waste” their vote, and there may be states where third party candidates did make a difference.

Donald Trump would probably still have won, but more directly by the will of the people.

Hans Dankers

Monroe