With the decline of comity (at least in name only) in the halls of Washington, it is a welcome topic for the Daily Breeze to revisit: how should California award its electoral votes?
A few years ago, there were discussions of having the electoral votes of this state automatically transferred to the Presidential candidate who won the majority popular vote across the country. Such an extreme measure would have robbed the votes in this state from their civil efficacy as citizens. One state, one vote, for each state.
The Daily Breeze Considered two other options:
Let's consider a third: The Congressional District Method. If California opted for this system, the majority winner in each Congressional District would win one electoral vote for than district. The candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote state-wide wins the two electoral votes representing the two Senators accorded to each state.
This option has the following advantages:
1) Every electoral vote in the state would be in play. Each voter in the state would be better represented. Republican voters in the Central and Eastern parts of the could contribute toward awarding their preferred candidate some electoral votes in the general election.
2) Political candidates of both parties would be more inclined to campaign in California, which up to now has been all but guaranteed to the Democratic candidate for the last twenty years. This has discouraged Republicans and Independents, and has hardly galvanized Democrats.
3) Voter turnout during general elections would increase, since more voters would feel that their vote actually counted.
4) In the event that there has to be a recount, tallying could focus on specific Congressional districts in dispute as opposed to a burdensome canvassing of the entire state.
It's unfortunate that the Daily Breeze did not submit the Congressional District Method as an option for apportioning California's electoral votes in the Presidential General Elections.
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