The impeachment inquiry

[Redneck]

If you understand how and why the Electoral College system was put into place you might see that it is the fairest system for the US population and the way it is distributed.

I dont know enough about it to comment really, perhaps someone could explain it to me

Compulsory voting ...
It's not really compulsory. You only get a $20 fine for not voting which would deter no-one.

You and I know that but I bet the average voter who is only interested in politics about once every three years wouldnt realise that.

Preferential voting ...
Gives way to too many shady back door deals between parties which are hardly ever transparent to the people prior to voting.

That is probably true but I still would rather it than someone being elected by bugger all voters in the electorate

Party leader elected by their own party and not by the people ...
And both sides continually show that they can knife that leader on the whim of a few in the party with no regard to the people.

Not the best but better than being ruled by a dictator imo

Neither system is perfect but I don't think ours is anything to crow about.

Not good but better than most I think!

[Redneck]

Australia is almost the size of the US but 96% of our population lives on the coast. The population in the US is distributed more evenly throughout the whole country.

Imagine if just NSW and VIC held the majority of our population and by those terms dictated at the ballot box who was elected PM each time. The other states and territories would be screaming blue murder and would be demanding their equal rights to have a say in who was elected.

The senate is set up to address that to some degree although some argue that gives Tasmania undue influence with a population about 20% bigger than the ACT but having 12 senators vs 3 for the ACT

[Black Orchid]

2016 election results. You will actually see much more red than blue.

[Redneck]

2016 election results. You will actually see much more red than blue.

I guess that means who won.

So what does that mean?

Is this the vote for the HOR or The Senate or The Dictator

I gather some states get more influence based on size how does that work?

[Black Orchid]

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. The number 538 is the total of the nation's 435 representatives, 100 senators, and the three electors given to the District of Columbia. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to redeem the presidency.

Every state is given a number of votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in the U.S. Congress. Two votes are given for its senators in the U.S. Senate plus a number of votes equal to the number of members in the U.S. House of Representatives. The District of Columbia is given three electors and for all intents and purposes for the Electoral College is treated like a state. The state with the most electoral votes is California with 55, and the states with the least amount of electoral votes are tied at 3, which are, Alaska, Delaware, D.C., Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Think of NSW as California with a good percentage of the people. Think of ACT as Alaska with a much smaller population.

Hillary ignored the smaller states and paid the price as collectively they made the determination of who would be President.

[Redneck]

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. The number 538 is the total of the nation's 435 representatives, 100 senators, and the three electors given to the District of Columbia. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to redeem the presidency.

Every state is given a number of votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in the U.S. Congress. Two votes are given for its senators in the U.S. Senate plus a number of votes equal to the number of members in the U.S. House of Representatives. The District of Columbia is given three electors and for all intents and purposes for the Electoral College is treated like a state. The state with the most electoral votes is California with 55, and the states with the least amount of electoral votes are tied at 3, which are, Alaska, Delaware, D.C., Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Think of NSW as California with a good percentage of the people. Think of ACT as Alaska with a much smaller population.

Hillary ignored the smaller states and paid the price as collectively they made the determination of who would be President.

So does that mean its worked out on a state by state basis, the state that wins for say the Democrats gets all the votes for that state going for Democrats say 55 in California .

How does this compensate the smaller states?

Is this in a vote president or HOR or what?

[Redneck]

I have had a bit of a google.

So in this presidential vote each state is voting really for these college electors

And the party that wins that state has all these electors

Who are these people?

and do they have any say in voting for the president apart from just saying California has 11 votes for democrat as democrats won overall in California.

How does this address the smaller states being disadvantaged.?

[Black Orchid]

Maybe 4E or Tex can explain it better but let's take the "popular vote" for instance. California and New York are two of the most populus states and they are both Democrat states so their votes went to Hillary but they are hardly representative of the whole of America.

[brian ross]

The Constitution and the Electoral College were negotiated by the original 13 states. The electoral college and the bicameral congress were put in place as assurances that the larger states could not ignore the will of the smaller states. If you want to get rid of the electoral college, it will require a Constitutional Amendment. The process is there. Of course, as a foreigner, you have no say in the matter. Just stay over there and whine for our entertainment.

Trump ran his campaign geared toward an electoral college win. Those are the rules of the election. If Hillary pursued the popular vote, she ran a stupid campaign. I guess that makes Trump smarter. He understood the rules and took advantage of them. He didn't cheat or break any rules.

That you are apparently unwilling or incapable of seeing fairer alternatives than your screwy system, Tex suggests that you are just as much a victim of it as nearly all your fellow citizens are.

As has been suggested by Red, there are alternative, fairer systems to the US system. Perhaps you need to educate yourself in them before you comment further?

All I am seeking is a fairer, more representational system for your country. The Westminster or the Washminster system as we use downunder could be one such alternative. Before commenting further, please learn about such alternatives.

[brian ross]

If you understand how and why the Electoral College system was put into place you might see that it is the fairest system for the US population and the way it is distributed.

I dont know enough about it to comment really, perhaps someone could explain it to me

Wikipedia has a good article on the electoral college and it's history.