Keough School of Global Affairs faculty member Aníbal Pérez-Liñán, who is director of the Kellogg Institute, was recently interviewed for an article discussing if the electoral college is the best method of deciding who becomes president.
The article cites the advantage an electoral college presents, giving smaller states the opportunity to stand out despite small voting numbers, so that they are not dwarfed by larger states. But, it also comes with its drawbacks; this system does not account for minority votes, which could result in the popular winner not being elected to the presidency. This can lead to discouragement of voter turnout, as "you are ignoring completely the votes of the minority party. And so the minority party gets no electors in the state,” as Pérez-Liñán states.
This in turn shifts campaign focus to swing states where party support is divided. “Presidential candidates and campaigns invest all their resources in those states because they want to flip those states one way or another. And in practice, they ignore the rest of the country,” said Pérez-Liñán. A disregard for non-swing states can obstruct these state’s voters’ abilities to learn about candidates and their party.
Aníbal Pérez-Liñán is professor of political science and global affairs at the University of Notre Dame. His work focuses on democratization, political institutions, executive-legislative relations, and the rule of law.