A couple of weeks ago, I criticized the Editorial Page Editor of the Atlanta Journal Constitution on her ignorance of how the awarding of Electoral College votes works in a State. The United States Constitution (Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2) allows that State Legislatures determine how its States Electoral College votes are to be awarded for a Presidential Election. I advocated (and still do) that the State of Georgia switch from it's current "Winner-Takes-All" system of awarding Electoral votes to a proportional system. (Tucker, the Editor, wants a "blue-ribbon panel" to look at amending the Constitution. A difficult and unlikely proposition at best.
In today's AJC, we find out that others are advocating the same type of change in Colorado:
A plan to scrap the winner-take-all system of allocating electoral votes in Colorado is heading to the ballot in November. If passed, Amendment 36 would make Colorado the first state to allocate electoral votes proportionately according to the popular vote, rather than giving a winner all the state's electoral votes. If the proposal had been in place in Colorado four years ago, Democrat Al Gore would have won the White House.Only two states do not currently have winner-take-all systems of casting Electoral College votes. Nebraska and Maine give two votes to the winner of each state, and remaining votes are cast to show who won each congressional district.
Republican Gov. Bill Owens and Republican State Party Chairman Ted Halaby have criticized the proposal, warning that candidates will ignore Colorado and its nine electoral votes if the measure passes. Julie Brown, campaign director for the Make Your Vote Count effort that supports the measure, dismissed their concerns. "It begs the question on which is more important --- a two-hour presidential stop at a tarmac at Denver International Airport or true representation by the voters."
I suppose the Blind Pig has found an acorn.
Comments