What would happen if a vote recount somehow found that Hillary Clinton won the presidency?

[jodymarie aimee]

What would happen if a vote recount somehow found that Hillary Clinton won the presidency?

Then we can have a real conversation about fixing, replacing, and/or eliminating the Electoral College. This is the second time in less than 20 years that a candidate has won the popular vote but did not win because of the Electoral College vote. It is the fifth time out of 45 presidents. That's 1 out of every 9 presidents. That's a high failure rate.

If the US were overseeing an election in a newly democratic nation, we would not accept that the candidate who got the most votes did not become the leader of that nation. Yet we're perfectly fine with accepting it here.

However, there hasn't been a real conversation about it for two main reasons. One, the two times it has happened recently, it has only affected Democratic candidates. Any suggestion that it needs to be fixed is going to be seen as sour grapes on the part of Democrats. Two, the last time it happened prior to 2000 was in the late 1800s, which suggests to some that it is a minor anomaly.

But it's not. This is a real problem. And I don't know the solution. I like the National Popular Vote (NPV) idea. Please google it if you don't know what it is. In short, it's an interstate compact whereby individual states agree to cast their Electoral College votes for whoever gets the most votes nationally, but it only goes into effect if the combined total of signatory states’ electoral votes meets or exceeds 270. Currently, ten or eleven states have signed on to it, and their votes total about half of what is needed. I think it's a great idea, myself.

But I'm not married to the idea. If someone came up with something they believe is a better voting scheme that better represents the will of the people let's hear that idea.

The current system doesn't work very well, though. Something needs to be done, and I think a reversal of the election based on a recount would be an excellent catalyst for the conversation

[unblock]

1. i don't think hillary winning would lead to any change in the electoral vs. popular vote debate.

but it might lead to a civil war because the right wing would go completely ape-shit crazy and never accept the results.

[monmouth4]

4. You know what? I don't care, let them go ape-shit all they want. They're counting on us to do

nothing about it and I'm not ready to play nice. She won this election and if there is a God, the investigations will prove that out. To hell with them. The only way they win is by cheating and I'm getting very sick and tired of it..

[world wide wally]

14. At least we would have a fighting chance in a civil war

[TygrBright]

2. She DID win the Presidency. By more than 2.3 million votes.

Are you asking what would happen if a recount changed the proportions sufficiently to swing enough winner-take-all states' electors to oblige them to cast EC ballots for her?

Likely a Constitutional crisis, is what would happen.

But it would be interesting.

skeptically,
Bright

[oberliner]

17. She didn't though

We don't elect our presidents by the popular vote.

[guillaumeb]

3. Trump still feels the elction was rigged.

Possibly the only time he told the truth in the campaign. It was gerrymandered, vote suppressed and possibly machine hacked. A triple rigging.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

6. What does gerrymandering

have to do with a Presidential election?

[guillaumeb]

7. I was referring to the general election. eom

[SickOfTheOnePct]

8. Thanks, my bad n/t

[guillaumeb]

9. Or my imprecision. eom

[WillowTree]

5. None of the currently suggested ideas.......

.......for eliminating or bypassing the Electoral College are feasible because they would all necessarily require that a significant number of the states that benefit most from it would have to agree to do away with it. Not much chance of that happening.

And virtually no chance that these recounts will result in overturning this election.

[loyalsister]

10. No good would come of overturning an election

If the situation was reversed and Trump exploited the electoral college to overturn an election then wanted to do away with it, I think we would be as outraged as any Trump supporter would have a right to be if we tried it.

[world wide wally]

15. If he got more votes maybe

[jmg257]

11. Its a tough call...Hillary won CA & NY by 6 million votes, but "only" won like 21 states.

There has to be a way to give the states in the Union some balance.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. states are not people. people are people.

i have never understood this argument.

[jmg257]

19. We are the United States...the States have certain roles to play in govt, in balancing power,

in being equally represented, etc.

Much of the reason for, and the Constitution itself, is built around that notion.

[kcr]

18. You know what happened when I moved from one state to another?

Still an American citizen. Still got my one vote. The same one I always had. Only difference is it seemed to matter a whole heck of a lot less because of the EC. Even though I still live in the same country. Voting for the same president. It's ridiculous. My vote should matter the same no matter where I choose to live.

The argument that taking away the EC gives the advantage to populous areas is nonsensical. Populous areas are populous because that's where people are choosing to go to live. Why should they be penalized for that by having their vote effectively taken away from them? Why should others get to have more power simply because of the state they live in? Only to have it taken away if they change their mind and move to another state weakened by this outdated system? Everyone's vote should have equal weight. Entire regions had their voices entirely erased. Who they wanted for president didn't matter at all. That's wrong.

[jmg257]

20. Unfortunately for you, the Union was/is built around balancing power between the people, the states,

the federal gov't, etc.

If we the people want to change that balance, we certainly should be able to - procedures are in place to do so.

[kcr]

22. No kidding, jmg257. That's why we're talking about it.

And I'm not just going to sit around contemplating how unfortunate it is. Unfortunately for you, who seem to be okay with it. I think enough people will get fed up with it when even more Trumps get elected and it becomes too obvious change needs to happen. Either that or the country falls apart.

[dumbcat]

23. Keep talking

Go for it. It won't change by itself.

All you have to do is convince 2/3 of Congress and 3/4 of the State's legislatures to agree. (Most of whom won't want to.)

The National Popular Vote concept may be a better possibility, but remember, those states agreeing can change their minds at any time, and it has a potential for a lot of political wrangling.

But, you are correct in that it isn't going to change if we don't talk about it.

[TeamPooka]

13. absolutely nothing. nt

[world wide wally]

16. The EC needs fair representation is all.

The same in every state. That way it would be impossible to win the popular vote and still lose the election which I think is what democracy intended. One man one vote has become a total fallacy. It takes almost a million men to get one vote in California and only 200,000 to get one in Wyoming.
I call bullshit.

[Liberal In Texas]

21. Hilarity Would Ensue.

Actually, it would be pandemonium. But it would be interesting.