The Convoluted History of the Electoral College
There are 10s of thousands of people who are walking around without any knowledge of how an American president is elected. Many people think that American presidents are elected by the popular vote. Indeed, I have heard people say 45 can’t win because “we’ll all come out to vote”. Wrong.
And many people assume that an American president and the vice- president cannot come from the same state. Wrong.
Let me tell you a story.
I went to high school in Oxford, Mississippi. Home of the University of Mississippi, where James Meredith integrated that institution. My school was a college preparatory school called Oxford High School, home of the Oxford Chargers. Our school colors were blue and gold and it was a “recently integrated school in relative terms.
I graduated from Oxford High in 1983. I have a younger brother, he graduated in 1993. I had three favorite teachers: Mr. Matthews. He taught biology and wore black socks with sandals. Mrs. Ann Burrows, who taught social studies and finally, Mrs. Mae Shelby who taught civics. You may have heard me speak of my father - who taught me about politics, but it was Mrs. Shelby who taught me how the government works.
Mrs. Shelby loved big words (which most of the time she misused in sentences) but her favorite words were: Expound, Extrapolate and Elucidate. Never all at the same time, but those were her favorites.
And I say: they should teach, nay - need to teach civics in school again. For those of you who have never had a civics class, let me explain.
Civics studies are the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society. It is the provision of information and learning experiences to equip and EMPOWER citizens to participate in democratic processes. The civic duties include things like voting, serving on juries, paying taxes, upholding the constitution, being willing to defend the United States and obeying the law. You learn the consequences of not obeying the law like driving without a license, and not showing up for jury duty - you can be arrested and face jail time. Sounds boring, I know but civics teaches you your rights and most importantly, it teaches you HOW the government WORKS.
This brings me to the convoluted history of the electoral college. The electoral college was “invented” by the Founding Dudes. It was a process established in the constitution as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and the election of the President by a popular vote of QUALIFIED citizens.
The qualified citizens were called electors. But in the beginning, the qualifications to be an elector was: white, male, property owner. Women and minorities were excluded. So it is my contention that the Founding Dudes were Plutocrats and the American founding principles are full of plutocratic ideals.
In the beginning, there was concern that even those white, male landowners wouldn’t have the information necessary to make a truly informed decision…enter Alexander Hamilton who argued for the creation of the electoral college in Federalist Paper #68 with an opposing view coming from an anonymous source in Federalist Paper # 72. Hamilton’s argument won out for the founding dudes voted to appoint “educated, well-read electors to vote on behalf of their citizens.”
As the Constitution makes clear, the States elect the President and Vice-President; individuals don’t.
- Source: National Archives
Fast forward to when there were big white houses, with lovely trees, expansive lawns - and SLAVES.
The Southern states were firmly against a national popular vote (One Man, One Vote) - yet Northern states had a population that was more than the population of the Southern states. Well, that just wasn’t fair to the Southern states - all those Northern states having a say about politics. So they (Southern states) devised a plan to change that and the dynamics of voting.
The Three-Fifths rule.
The 3/5 rule was a rule where a slave would count as 3/5 of a person, whereby increasing the size of Southern slave-holding states, thereby giving them more influence in the Electoral College than if they had chosen the national popular vote.
After Reconstruction (the period that ended slavery) there were, perhaps the largest population of Black people in the Congress in history. However between 1880 - 1890, they were all driven out by force.
By accomplishing this - force and laws - the Southern states were left with the 3/5 rule which basically says:
African Americans counted 100 percent towards representation in Congress and towards electoral votes, but they still could not vote.
This gave White Southerners more influence over Presidential elections.
(And it wasn’t just Black people who were disenfranchised, poor whites were too. They were these “test” that people over the elections process had. Some of them were literal tests - asking things like “how many jellybeans are in this jar” or “can you read the names on this list” (knowing that some could not read or do math), then there was the infamous “poll tax” - where people were made to pay money to vote. If they had no money to pay, they were not allowed to vote).
Fast forward again to 1964.
Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
“This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. It was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.” - Source: National Archives.
During the process leading up to the signing of this bill, there was huge opposition to it especially from the Southern states. They tried to put up as many obstacles as possible but in the end Johnson signed the bill into law. However, it was not and still has not - to this day - been ratified (approved or sanctioned) by Congress.
Another fall-out from the signing of this bill was a mass exodus of Southern white Democrats (Dixie-crats) over to the Republican Party. In Reconstruction days, Blacks were in the Republican Party.
Black people were elected to national office from states like Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. All of these Reconstruction era black senators and representatives were members of the Republican Party.
Ultimately they were forced out during Reconstruction by White Southern/White Supremacist, but when Johnson signed the 1964 bill on Civil Rights White Southerners fled the Democratic party in droves.
This is why the majority of Black Americans are in the Democratic Party to this day and Black Republicans are viewed with suspicion.
Johnson said (on the signing of the bill):
‘Well, I think we may have lost the south for your lifetime – and mine.’
- Speaking to reporter Bill Moyers on the subject.
Some people believe this is why Johnson did not run for a second presidential term- that and the Vietnam War. (Video link)
In certain instances, there has been at times, rumblings about changing the electoral college - the Bush v, Gore is one that comes to mind however those in the halls of Congress won’t go for it. Action has NEVER been taken on any proposals to change it.
There have been only 6 Presidents who decided not to accept a second term (Incumbent) nomination - for various reasons - but I have to ask: Does having the Presidential Nominee chosen by someone that you don’t know seem right to you?
I am forever grateful to Mrs. Shelby. Her civics class and lessons have been invaluable lessons to me throughout my life. My brother, who just turned 50 yesterday, and I are probably the last of a generation that had the privilege of receiving Civics Class in America because unfortunately, Civics are no longer taught in the majority of US high schools and in fact are being targeted where they do exist, by Project 2025.
So when you are viewing my videos on my channel, you will see a small, black-framed picture that says - FIX THE BROKEN ELECTORAL COLLEGE. It has a long history of supressing the will of the people by keeping control over the vote, and that history is too long to write about.
The sign sitting on my bookcase is a silent protest. I do not have an answer for how to do this. My hope is that the younger generation can find a way. That we will all have the opportunity for ONE MAN, ONE VOTE.
Tara, xx
I have an article coming where I will explain what are delegates and Superdelegates and what’s the difference between the two, soon!
Time for it to go. Period. I remember when Hilary Clinton first became a senator she said, when asked about it, that if it no longer served the purpose, it should go. The idea however never went anywhere and it cost her the election of 2016, and lead to where we are today. Someone explain the reason why it should remain and I’ll listen. Last election the certifying of the electoral college results gave Trump the opening to cause a riot.
Thanks, Tara.