Donald Trump was right. The American presidential election system is rigged. For the fifth time in American history, the people's choice for president, the candidate for whom the most people voted, will be denied the office in favor of a candidate who got fewer votes. Hillary Clinton has finished with about 2.3 million votes more than Mr. Trump, but the popular will has been rejected by the arcane and antiquated electoral college tabulation process. This vestige of late eighteenth century elitism and political deal making, including the motivation to protect slavery, makes a mockery of the concept of democracy itself.
The electoral college process is spelled out in Article II of the Constitution, so a constitutional amendment could change it. That, however, is highly unlikely. It takes a 2/3 vote of both houses of congress and ratification by 3/4 of the state legislatures. Though over the years this unjust system has denied the people's choice to both major parties, the Republicans have been the minority party benefiting from an undemocratic electoral vote the last two times it has happened (2000 and 2016.) Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that congressional-level GOP lawmakers would support such a move. There is, however, another way.
National Popular Vote is the solution. Go to their site here. By this plan, states pledge their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide. Once enough states have passed this plan to constitute a majority of the electoral votes (270), the president will be effectively elected by national popular vote, though it will still be officially ratified by electoral votes. Thus far, 10 states plus the District of Columbia, totaling 165 electoral votes, have ratified the National Popular Vote Compact.
Here is the explanation from the web site itself:
The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the
candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the
District of Columbia. Written Explanation It has been enacted into law in 10 states and D.C. with 165 electoral votes (CA,
DC, HI, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, RI, VT, WA). It will take effect when
enacted by states with 105 more electoral votes. Most recently, the
bill was passed by a bipartisan 40–16 vote in the Republican-controlled
Arizona House, 28–18 in Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate, 57–4 in
Republican-controlled New York Senate, and 37–21 in
the Democratic-controlled Oregon House. It has passed one house in 12 states
with 96 electoral votes (AR, AZ, CO, CT, DE, ME, MI, NC, NM, NV, OK,
OR). Status in Each State
The undemocratic travesty of the electoral college, thwarting as it does the expressed will of the voters, must be ended. This movement deserves your support.
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