Pros and cons about the electoral college are often cited. For example, one often cited pro is that the use of the electoral college prevents calls for recounts and offers a level of certainty to elections. An often stated con is that the use of the electoral college may allow the candidate who does not win the popular vote to win the overall election. Those who cite this con are concerned that the will of the people is not always counted in an election.

Question

The Electoral College should continue to be used in presidential elections because it is the fairest means of electing a president. It ensures that people in every state have a role in electing the president, no matter what their state’s demographics are.

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

A student is developing a counterclaim to this argument. Which counterclaim is the most fair and effective?

(1 point)
Responses

The reason why the Electoral College was established was to make it more difficult for people of color and formerly enslaved people to vote.
The reason why the Electoral College was established was to make it more difficult for people of color and formerly enslaved people to vote.

Everyone knows that each voter should have only one vote, and the Electoral College makes it possible for some people’s votes to count as more or less than one.
Everyone knows that each voter should have only one vote, and the Electoral College makes it possible for some people’s votes to count as more or less than one.

There have been four presidential elections in our nation’s history where the winner won the Electoral College vote but not the popular vote.
There have been four presidential elections in our nation’s history where the winner won the Electoral College vote but not the popular vote.

Since it is an all-or-nothing system for each state’s votes, the Electoral College allows elections to potentially be decided solely by swing states.
Since it is an all-or-nothing system for each state’s votes, the Electoral College allows elections to potentially be decided solely by swing states.

Answer 1

The most fair and effective counterclaim against the argument in favor of the Electoral College is:

"Everyone knows that each voter should have only one vote, and the Electoral College makes it possible for some people’s votes to count as more or less than one."

This counterclaim directly addresses the core issue of equitable representation in voting. It highlights a fundamental principle of democracy—one person, one vote—and critiques the Electoral College for potentially distorting this principle, making it a more compelling and relevant challenge to the argument in favor of the Electoral College.