Observatory: Census and the Electoral College

Many voters on both sides of the political spectrum feel completely disenfranchised. Conservatives in solidly-blue states and liberals in forever-red states believe their votes don’t matter in the winner-take-all Electoral College accounting used by nearly all states. Independents and third-parties are completely locked out.

And it’s obvious that our two-party system is failing the country and constitution; just look at the “products” they are producing and presenting to voters. The populist leaders of both parties, Trump and Sanders, are not very representative members of the respective parties but are more independents if not simply opportunists and chameleons who have staged a coup within their party.

So how can we reform the electoral college in our legislatures now to head off unrest in the streets later? It will not happen on its own, or by politely asking or tweeting about it, as the current two-party system has such a stranglehold on protecting the status quo.

As many recall from civics classes, the number of electoral votes and congressional districts from each state is determined by the national census every decade. Population counts are also used to allocate federal funding.

If our votes do not count in gerrymandered districts and electoral college results, then why should we allow our bodies to be counted in the census? Or our tax dollars be allocated to congressional districts, state governments, and representatives that ignore or disregard us as a political minority that does not matter?

As an act of patriotic protest and political freedom of expression we can refuse to be counted in the census until the electoral process is reformed! This starts with proportionate voting by electors or abandoning the electoral college all together for direct presidential voting.

The consequences of noncompliance will be a small price for citizens to pay to save our democracy at home when compared to sacrifices of those who die protecting us abroad.