Biden is almost 4 million votes ahead nationwide, but the outcome of the US election came down to a few thousand votes in 4 states.
Thanks to the electoral college, 33 of 50 states didn't get a single visit from either candidate.
There was no point even contesting most states!
Thanks to the electoral college, 33 of 50 states didn't get a single visit from either candidate.
There was no point even contesting most states!
https://twitter.com/electoralreform/status/1324003644275068929
It's not like this is a new problem.
The electoral college was a fine idea in theory, 230 years ago. But it broke down within a few years.
After two centuries of tinkering with local and national rules it's just a confusing mess that bears no resemblance to the original idea.
The electoral college was a fine idea in theory, 230 years ago. But it broke down within a few years.
After two centuries of tinkering with local and national rules it's just a confusing mess that bears no resemblance to the original idea.
In an increasingly polarised two party system, where 48 out of 50 states give all their electors to the candidate who gets the most votes, it's horribly broken.
All the effort usually goes into fighting a handful of "battleground states" while everyone else is taken for granted.
All the effort usually goes into fighting a handful of "battleground states" while everyone else is taken for granted.
To confuse things even more, we won't know for sure who won until January 6, when Congress counts the electoral college votes.
Because some states don't have laws making electors vote for the person they're supposed to!
In 2016, for example, 7 electors didn't vote as directed.
Because some states don't have laws making electors vote for the person they're supposed to!
In 2016, for example, 7 electors didn't vote as directed.
Biden will hopefully get enough electoral college votes that it would be hard to overturn the outcome of the election.
But if (as seemed possible at one point) it had come down to a 270 : 268 split, even one "faithless" elector could have turned the election result on its head.
But if (as seemed possible at one point) it had come down to a 270 : 268 split, even one "faithless" elector could have turned the election result on its head.
Basically, America is trying to fight a 21st century election with a horribly mangled version of an 18th century electoral system that's held together with duct tape.
Throwing Trump and a pandemic into the mix has just added to the chaos.
Throwing Trump and a pandemic into the mix has just added to the chaos.
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