The Limits of Corruption
Nov. 11th, 2004 09:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
billroperMark Evanier links to this article by Timothy Noah that argues for the abolition of the Electoral College. This brought back to mind one argument against abolishing the Electoral College that I've not seen made elsewhere, so I'll make it now.
The Electoral College limits the impact of localized vote fraud.
Once you have illegally manufactured enough votes to win a state, there is currently no great advantage in manufacturing more votes. It runs up the popular vote total -- which is nice -- but it doesn't have any further impact on the election. It also provides a disincentive to illegally manufacture votes for a candidate in a state that he would win anyway like, say, Illinois.
But if you eliminate the Electoral College, then every illegal vote counts.
And I live next door to the city of Chicago.
Or as Joe Kennedy reputedly told his son, John, "I'm not buying one damn vote more than necessary -- I'm not paying for a landslide!"
The Electoral College limits the impact of localized vote fraud.
Once you have illegally manufactured enough votes to win a state, there is currently no great advantage in manufacturing more votes. It runs up the popular vote total -- which is nice -- but it doesn't have any further impact on the election. It also provides a disincentive to illegally manufacture votes for a candidate in a state that he would win anyway like, say, Illinois.
But if you eliminate the Electoral College, then every illegal vote counts.
And I live next door to the city of Chicago.
Or as Joe Kennedy reputedly told his son, John, "I'm not buying one damn vote more than necessary -- I'm not paying for a landslide!"