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Virginia bill would end winner-take-all, award EVs by (gerrymandered) districts

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L

Lime

Member
http://wtkr.com/2017/01/24/bill-would-end-virginias-winner-take-all-electoral-vote-system/

A bill to end Virginia’s “winner take all” system of awarding Electoral College votes was approved by a House subcommittee Tuesday.

The electoral votes should be divided among presidential candidates based on how many of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts they win, the subcommittee of the House Privileges and Elections Committee decided on a 5-2, party-line vote.

HB 1425, sponsored by Del. Mark Cole, R-Fredericksburg, would give Virginia’s remaining two electoral votes to the winner of the state’s popular vote.

This system is used in Maine and Nebraska and is known as the “congressional district system.” Under the system, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would have received six of Virginia’s 13 Electoral College votes, even though Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the state last fall.

Cole said he thinks the bill would increase voter turnout because it would make people feel more like their vote mattered. He said Northern Virginia is so populous that it carries the state, and that makes people in rural Virginia feel their vote doesn’t count.
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Stephen Wolf @PoliticsWolf
Virginia GOP considering rigging the Electoral College by assigning votes by gerrymandered congressional districts

Stephen Wolf ‏@PoliticsWolf 2h2 hours ago
Minnesota's GOP House Speaker considered a similar measure earlier this week. This is how GOP could further rig our presidential elections
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Trump won 230 congressional districts & Clinton just 205. Awarding Electoral College votes by district is how Republicans can gerrymander it

C3CBRhlXcAEVvSq.jpg
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Jamelle Bouie ‏@jbouie 20m20 minutes ago
Under this system, rural residents (note: mostly white) would have an effective veto over city dwellers (disproportionately nonwhite).

Jamelle Bouie Verified account
‏@jbouie

What a weird coincidence that the party dependent on a declining group of white voters is trying to gerrymander presidential elections.
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This is most likely the next tactic by the GOP in conjunction with Trump's voter suppression laws coming up.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
The electoral college was a mistake. The founding fathers either thought they were being really smart or they neglected too realize how dumb or corrupt people are.
 
W

WiiredShawn

Member
I'm conflicted on this one. I mean, you could also interpret this as "if all states followed this model, then Democrats might have a chance to win districts in states that typically go red", which could help a presidential candidate.

At the same time, gerrymandering.

Really, though, just fuck the EC.
 
D

Dash_Riprock

Member
Trojita said:
The electoral college was a mistake. The founding fathers either thought they were being really smart or they neglected too realize how dumb or corrupt people are.
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In the centuries before cars, planes, internet and phones it made some sense. But like the 2nd Amendment its a relic of a bygone era.
 
F

FrontalMonk

Banned
Thankfully we still have a Dem in the Governor's seat so there's no way this thing doesn't get vetoed if it passes, but our gubernatorial race is this year so next year's general assembly could get real scary real fast.
 
W

Wilsongt

Member
And GOP voters are willing to go right along with it as long as they can pocket a little more money each paycheck and fuck over minorities, despite how strongly they protest about government over reach and the Founding Fathers.
 
S

SenorArdilla

Member
Throughout it's entire existence, the EC has never ever went against the results of electoral election. It is a flawed concept with no purpose.
 
S

sangreal

Member
this has been on the gop agenda since 2012 or earlier. expect to see it in all republican-led swing states -- especially ones turning blue

WiiredShawn said:
I'm conflicted on this one. I mean, you could also interpret this as "if all states followed this model, then Democrats might have a chance to win districts in states that typically go red", which could help a presidential candidate.

At the same time, gerrymandering.

Really, though, just fuck the EC.
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of course, they are trying to do exactly the opposite in solid red states like nebraska
 
S

Sulik2

Member
USA needs to separated into two countries. A blue country who understands realty and a crazy red country. This is no long a nation capable of functioning as a united rational whole.
 
T

Toxi

Banned
Increased granularity when assigning electors isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The problem is that the granularity is based on districts rather than on the actual percentage of voters. Which means instead of trying to win the majority of people in the state, you're trying to win people who live in strategically advantageous positions.

Also, it's only done for certain states, which means it inherently is favorable to one party.
 
E

Eidan

Member
It wouldn't make it past the Virginia State Senate, certainly wouldn't make it past McAuliffe. Still, it's disturbing to see the lengths the Republican Party will go to cling to power.
 
W

WiiredShawn

Member
Sulik2 said:
USA needs to separated into two countries. A blue country who understands realty and a crazy red country. This is no long a nation capable of functioning as a united rational whole.
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The red side would just go to war with the blue side. Honestly, better to keep them closer and try everything possible to kick them out of power.
 
T

tuxfool

Banned
Toxi said:
Increased granularity when assigning electors isn't a bad thing.

The problem is that the granularity is based on districts rather than on the actual percentage of voters. Which means instead of trying to win the majority of people in the state, you're trying to win people who live in strategically advantageous positions.
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*Shocking* That they're not proposing assigning straight up according to popular vote percentages.
 
C

collige

Banned
WiiredShawn said:
I'm conflicted on this one. I mean, you could also interpret this as "if all states followed this model, then Democrats might have a chance to win districts in states that typically go red", which could help a presidential candidate.

At the same time, gerrymandering.

Really, though, just fuck the EC.
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It would be an improvement on the current system if district lines weren't drawn by partisan state legislatures. As it stands, this is merely the GOP exporting its advantage in the house to the presidential election.
 
D

Diablos

Member
I always figured this would occur. They tried it in 2012 here in PA but bad press and pressure from special interests about it no longer being a "big" state stopped them. Given the GOP keeps drinking more and more of its own kool aid with every passing election cycle though, I always knew this was going to be the next logical step. They're going to do it in every swing state/lean D state if they can.

2016 really was one for the ages.
 
W

whyamihere

Banned
Diablos said:
I always figured this would occur. They tried it in 2012 here in PA but bad press and pressure from special interests about it no longer being a "big" state stopped them. Given the GOP keeps drinking more and more of its own kool aid with every passing election cycle though, I always knew this was going to be the next logical step. They're going to pass it in every swing state/lean D state if they can.
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Well they're not going to pass in PA.
 
N

Nightmusk

Banned
WiiredShawn said:
The red side would just go to war with the blue side. Honestly, better to keep them closer and try everything possible to kick them out of power.
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And? Maine and Nebraska already do it. For people complaining about living in red states, this allows some of your state's electoral votes to go toward the democratic candidate, most likely the urban districts.

I forgot. Evil GOP. Durrr.
 
Goro Majima

Goro Majima

Kitty Genovese Member
Nice talking point to their base when it fails too

"See? They just want the cities to run everything!"

Feels like political propaganda in the rural vs urban divide.
 
J

Jarmel

Banned
Nightmusk said:
And? Maine and Nebraska already do it. For people complaining about living in red states, this allows some of your state's electoral votes to go toward the democratic candidate, most likely the urban districts.

I forgot. Evil GOP. Durrr.
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It uses the gerrymandered system that favors the GOP.

oh wow such benefit
 
E

ezekial45

Banned
Fucking vile. Jesus Christ, the GOP is nothing but a fucking criminal organization, just like the Nazis. This is disgusting.
 
A

ahoyhoy

Unconfirmed Member
This system would be fine if it were applied to all states across the board (without the gerrymandered districts of course).

As is now? No fucking way.
 
C

Caja 117

Member
I was told more than once here that gerrymandering couldn't affect Presidential election...

Republican Party: "Hold my Beer."
 
K

Kusagari

Member
Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin will probably attempt this too.

Any chance of the Democrats winning again will be snuffed out.
 
E

EMT0

Banned
AuthenticM said:
Lincoln should have let the South have its shitty country.
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After taking Virginia in order to cripple the CSA industrially and letting the rest of the South burn. Virginia is, despite this recent bout of GOP fuckery, no longer a red state, or even really part of the South since most of its people live north of Richmond within a few hour's drive of the Chesapeake Bay and we have more in common with say, Delaware than Georgia.
 
T

tearsintherain

Member
Seems like one of those things that seems like it might be a good idea while you are in power but has the potential to be a huge backfire to your party/interests later down the road.

If enough states do this you could see the political calculations changing heavily in how to win the presidency, like right now California is always blue and Texas is always red but if they get proportioned out you could maybe win by slicing and dicing up the country just the right way. Would also lessen the impact of swing states that are winner take all.
 
J

jwhit28

Member
Nightmusk said:
And? Maine and Nebraska already do it. For people complaining about living in red states, this allows some of your state's electoral votes to go toward the democratic candidate, most likely the urban districts.

I forgot. Evil GOP. Durrr.
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http://www.wral.com/federal-judges-...-assembly-districts-must-be-redrawn/15920846/

That is the problem with this idea. Many states are in the same situation as NC with what will soon be a Republican led Supreme Court as the only protection left. Also how could you possibly think a district with 2000 people should have equal say as a district with 2 million?
 
V

Vixdean

Member
This is why all the upcoming governor's races are important. Lots of chances for Dem pickups and even with a GOP legislature, the governor can stop bills like this from becoming law.
 
T

thuway

Member
All of this is happening so fast no one knows what to pay attention to any more. :( I know this sounds abrasive, but what can people do outside of just calling. Honestly, is there any way to make this unconstitutional because it's intent is for corruption any nothing more.
 
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