A “time bomb lodged near the heart of the nation.” That is how the Pulitzer-Prize winning author, James A. Michener, described the Electoral College in his 1969 book, Presidential Lottery.
Michener is not the only person in history who has been concerned about the Electoral College. Indeed, the elaborate process stipulated in Article II, section 1, clauses 2 and 3 of the Constitution, has been a perennial source of controversy since it was ratified in 1788.
Nevertheless, opposition to the Electoral College has become more pronounced in recent years due to the controversial outcomes of the 2000 and 2016 elections. In 2000, Al Gore lost to George W. Bush despite winning approximately half a million more votes nationwide. Hilary Clinton similarly lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump despite having won almost 3 million more votes nationwide. In both elections, Bush and Trump became president because they won more votes in the Electoral College.
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