BY KERISA BROWN

 

With the presidential election coming up in about a month, there is much debate in the news about election integrity. One of these hot-button topics is things like the validity of mail-in voting, etc. Additionally, in the last few presidential elections, there has been much debate over the electoral college, whether or not it should be abolished, and whether or not an individual’s vote counts (in a non-swing state).

 

So, what is the electoral college and why is it important? According to the National Archives, the electoral college consists of 538 electors (with a majority of 270 needed to win the election). Each state has one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two Senators. It’s important to note that the electoral college actually determines the winner of the election, not the national popular vote.

 

The state of Kansas has 6 electoral votes. The state of Kansas also follows a winner-takes-all rule regarding the electoral college, meaning that whichever candidate received a majority of the state’s popular vote takes all of the electoral votes. When asked how the electoral college affects Kansas, FHSU Political Science Professor Lawrence Gould said, “The electoral college tends to discount individual votes in many states.  You do not vote directly for a presidential candidate, but you should not let this approach for electing a president discourage you from voting for down-ballot candidates.”

 

According to 270toWin.com, the state of Kansas has given most of its electoral college votes to the Republican party, with few exceptions. Some argue that in states that historically vote for certain parties consistently, one individual’s vote doesn’t matter anyway. This can cause many people and new voters to be discouraged from voting at all.

 

When asked what encouragement he might offer to students who are considering not voting, Gould said, “I would tell them when they reach age 18 they will be assigned one of the most powerful tools and responsibilities in the world: the privilege to vote and have a hand in shaping their future.  They must understand the importance of balancing issues and settling.  They may not find a candidate that agrees with them on all the issues, but that doesn’t mean they should not vote.  Sometimes you have to settle for a candidate you can agree with on most issues.”

 

For many college students, this will be their first time voting in a presidential election. Regarding election preparation advice, Gould says, “I would suggest that first-time voters ensure they are registered and develop a plan for voting.  Know where your voting booth is located and review the people running for office before you head into the polling booth.  Go to the Secretary of State website in your state and check out the information and directions.  Locally, you can go to the web site of the American Democracy Project.  Use a diversity of sources to collect information about candidates and issues.  Do not use one source and understand that you may have to work to avoid misinformation and alternative realities generated on the internet. “

 

For more information on the candidates and updates on the election, be sure to check out other recent Tiger Media Network stories:

http://tigermedianet.com/?p=56500

http://tigermedianet.com/?p=56484

http://tigermedianet.com/?p=56478

 

Link to story record:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ew5QxoI0Nm1LWWRirCGNjz7YakTxCZICx94T2GIZDcY/edit?usp=sharing