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Lawsuits challenge Electoral College system in four U.S. states
Reuters MSN ^ | February 21, 2018

Posted on 02/21/2018 2:40:45 PM PST by SMGFan

A coalition that includes a Latino membership organization and a former Massachusetts governor filed lawsuits on Wednesday challenging how four U.S. states allocate their Electoral College votes in presidential elections. The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Massachusetts and California, states that went for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016, and South Carolina and Texas, where a majority of votes went to Republican U.S. President Donald Trump.

The lawsuits challenge the winner-take-all system used in those states to select electors who cast votes for president and vice president in the Electoral College after a presidential election. Forty-four other states and the District of Columbia also use that system.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; US: California; US: Massachusetts; US: South Carolina; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: buildthefence; california; daca; dreamact; dreamers; electoralcollege; faithlesselectors; massachusetts; nationalpopularvote; npv; southcarolina; texas
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To: adingdangdoo

“... My idea is ... “
-
Glad you are not in charge.


21 posted on 02/21/2018 2:55:30 PM PST by Repeal The 17th (I was conceived in liberty, how about you?)
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To: adingdangdoo
National Popular Vote initiative has some pretty unbelievable statistics. Check for yourself.
22 posted on 02/21/2018 2:55:48 PM PST by upchuck (Keep a sharp lookout. The best is yet to come.)
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To: adingdangdoo

The system should be left alone, before someone truly screws it up.


23 posted on 02/21/2018 2:55:49 PM PST by DoughtyOne (01/26/18 DJIA 30 stocks $26,616.71 48.794% > open 11/07/16 215.71 from 50% increase 1.2183 yrs..)
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To: Publius
If you look at it:
2: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
There is NO requirement that there even BE a popular vote. The state legislature can hold a vote among themselves and decide who gets their electoral vote. There are a number of states (PA, for example) where the popular vote went to Trump in a squeeker, but where the state legislature itself is solidly Republican due to Dems being concentrated in cities.
24 posted on 02/21/2018 2:55:50 PM PST by PapaBear3625 (Big governent is attractive to those who think that THEY will be in control of it.)
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To: Jacquerie

If we followed the money trail for this nonsense to its source, would we find that the “funders” speak Russian?


25 posted on 02/21/2018 2:59:26 PM PST by pfony1
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To: SMGFan
The Electoral College process was established in the Constitution as a compromise between electing a president by a vote in Congress and by popular vote of citizens.

Pure bravo sierra!! James Wilson of PA was among the very few who trusted the people to elect a President. The purpose of the EC was to elevate a man of honor, proven ability, and someone unattached to a factional political party to the Presidency.

26 posted on 02/21/2018 2:59:45 PM PST by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: SMGFan
“Under the winner-take-all system, U.S. citizens have been denied their constitutional right to an equal vote in Presidential elections,” Boies said in a statement.

Their constitutional right? If that were true, you should be able to find a clause in the actual Constitution to support Bois' claim. I have never seen such a clause.

In fact, the constitution doesn't even have a clause requiring the Electors to vote according to the vote results in their State. Any such requirement would be found in State legislation, so it would not be a constitution right.

It seems Dims have a fantasy dream and then write it up as lawsuit.

27 posted on 02/21/2018 3:03:13 PM PST by savedbygrace
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To: adingdangdoo

That works, but I’m partial to the EV by district, 2 to the overall popular vote winner in the state. If you look at the congressional races in recent years, or the red/blue map after the election it would make a strong argument that Obama would most likely have lost in 2012 and possibly in 2008.


28 posted on 02/21/2018 3:04:18 PM PST by redangus (actually hit her?)
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To: SMGFan
Article II : "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors..."

This is a nonjusticeable political question.

29 posted on 02/21/2018 3:04:55 PM PST by Jim Noble (Single payer is coming. Which kind do you like?)
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To: Jacquerie

“One man, one vote” is not part of the Constitution.


30 posted on 02/21/2018 3:05:45 PM PST by Jim Noble (Single payer is coming. Which kind do you like?)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

My first thought too....

“The Left never quit”


31 posted on 02/21/2018 3:07:10 PM PST by blondiegoodbadugly
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To: savedbygrace
More than that - the Constitution does not require ANYBODY to vote for President (except the 538 Electors), and any State that wishes can dispense with popular voting at any time.

The State Legislature can appoint electors using any method they choose.

32 posted on 02/21/2018 3:08:35 PM PST by Jim Noble (Single payer is coming. Which kind do you like?)
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To: Jim Noble

It’s in the living and breathing rat constitution that supersedes our Constitution. It is why the shape of congressional districts is still a cage fight in many states some eight years after the last census, and why several states face bankruptcy.


33 posted on 02/21/2018 3:12:03 PM PST by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

“If anything, the EC should be strengthened.”

Absolutely. It’s the only way to have representative government in a country with highly populated urban areas in which the lifestyle, beliefs, and voting patterns are at odds with most of the rest of the nation.


34 posted on 02/21/2018 3:12:31 PM PST by neverevergiveup
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

And raise the voting age to 30.


35 posted on 02/21/2018 3:14:26 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: SMGFan

“Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors...”

Not much room for interpretation there. Did the Legislature for the state pick this method? Yes? Case dismissed!


36 posted on 02/21/2018 3:16:10 PM PST by Boogieman
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To: Jim Noble
“One man, one vote” is not part of the Constitution.

It is now.

In Reynolds v. Sims, the Warren Court interpreted the 14th Amendment, in a decision that one justice labeled as "grotesque," to apply to all bodies not exempted by the Constitution itself. We know it as "one man/one vote." It is now a part of case law and is cited in precedents, such as in this case.

The Senate is exempt from Reynolds, and even Article V forbids the end of equal representation in the Senate unless states deprived of it are willing to ratify such a change. That would mean unanimous consent.

The Electoral College is exempt from Reynolds because the state legislatures have a plenary and non-justiciable right to appoint electors.

37 posted on 02/21/2018 3:17:30 PM PST by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius available at Amazon)
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To: adingdangdoo

Why?

Do you think you are smarter than the founders?

Or do you think the Constitution is a “Living and Breathing” document?


38 posted on 02/21/2018 3:20:21 PM PST by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: DoughtyOne

Making us like the Hunger Games.


39 posted on 02/21/2018 3:20:51 PM PST by EdnaMode
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To: SMGFan
The lawsuits contend that system denies citizens their constitutional right to an equal vote by discarding votes for candidates who lose in a state and magnifying the votes of those who win there.

When has that ever been a Constitutional right?

The annoying thing is that these lawsuits are headed up by David Boies, who knows better.

-PJ

40 posted on 02/21/2018 3:23:10 PM PST by Political Junkie Too (The 1st Amendment gives the People the right to a free press, not CNN the right to the 1st question.)
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