Why even have an election then?
this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2024
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So we can pretend that they represent the will of the people rather than the will of those in power who know how to game the system. A worse version of what it already is now.
This is part of the ISL theory that is wackier than your average Trump ad lib.
As a non American late at night, wondering who is Bill and who the hell is disturbing them.. Took me a sec
"If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy,"
We are here.
We have been here for many years now.
You don't need a bill to do this. Electors are not required to vote the way the public does. Just do away with the electoral college. It's a positively ancient election method. Trump lost the popular vote.
Faithless electors are illegal in a number of states.
Then why do they even exist? You could replace them with 2 lines of code.
Republicans will never stop trying to steal elections
The Supreme Court would be all over this. No way this could actually become law. Not even remotely.
The Supreme Court would be all over this. No way this could actually become law. Not even remotely.
The Constitution has already left it to the states to pick their own elector by whatever means that state chooses. I wrote a much more detailed comment in a prior discussion if you're interested, but put simply, Article 2 of the US Constitution is what governs the election of the executive branch (the president). Specifically, Clause 2:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress
Individual voters do not elect the President. The Electoral College does. The states use the votes of individual voters to appoint its Electors, and then the Electors go to Congress and have their votes counted.
Incidentally, this is why Trump was desperate to get Pence out of the way on January 6, as the Vice President is the President of the Senate and without him, there is no constitutional transfer of power. See Clause 3:
The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted.
There's really nothing for the Supreme Court to decide here, because constitutionally Arizona gets to pick its own electors however it wants, UNLESS someone challenges Arizona and makes it the Supreme Court's business to offer a ruling.
Well Texas has set a precedent that states can now ignore their rulings, so...
I mean, fine. I live in Arizona and I have a crowbar that does let me shatter kneecaps.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Fucking fascists are downright enemies of democracy
What does the state constitution say about this?
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So that's the most un-American crap I've read all day... The power belongs to the people damn it!
As vile as it is, it's in line with the US Constitution. The state legislature have the authority to select electors in the manner they see fit. All currently use some kind of popular vote to select the electors, but they don't have to do it that way. In fact, in Bush v Gore the Court hinted that the method to determine the electors could even be changed after the November election.
If it comes between abandoning conservatism, or abandoning democracy, republicans will 100% of the time abandon democracy.
It goes to show how much of the US electoral system is based on essentially good faith and convention.
Trump has shown that our entire system is based on nothing more than good faith and convention. Not only does the Constitution not provide any guidance whatsoever about what to do when those in charge refuse to exercise that good faith and convention, but the past few years have shown that even the slightest deviation from that good faith and convention can cause the entire system to come crashing down.
Lemme guess, they're calling it the "Every Vote Counts!" bill, yes?
But think of the savings!
He just misses the days when state legislatures chose senators
Forever grateful that the cold of MN kicks out the crazies, even if they grew up here. Kern can shove this bill right back up his kernhole
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