There have been five American presidents who received the popular vote for President of the United States and ultimately did not win the election.

In 2000 and 2016, Al Gore and Hillary Clinton won the popular vote and lost the presidency thanks to the Electoral College, a system that first appeared in the 18th century. I didn’t vote for either candidate, but I think the system needs to change. This is absolutely false.

New York has 28 electoral votes, California 54, Texas 40 and Florida 30 as examples. A candidate must receive at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. The United States has a total of 528 electoral votes.

Each state receives electoral votes equal to its total congressional delegation (senators and representatives). Since all states have two senators and at least one congressional district, the minimum number of electoral votes a state can have is three. The number of electoral votes a state receives or loses is determined by the census taken every 10 years.

At least 700 amendments have been proposed to modify or eliminate the electoral college. None have yet succeeded. Here are the pros and cons of changing the electoral college voting process.

Pros have argued that the Electoral College ensures that all regions of the country are relied upon when selecting a president. The Electoral College was created to prevent the votes of the minority from being overridden by the will of the majority. The Electoral College can prevent calls for a recount or requests for a runoff election.

The Cons argued that the Electoral College gives too much power to swing states and allows the presidential election to be decided by a handful of states. Others say the Electoral College is rooted in slavery and racism. And still others argue that democracy should operate according to the will of the people, allowing one vote per adult.

The number of congressional districts in each state is determined by the population census taken every 10 years. The last census took place in 2020, the next will take place in 2030. Once each state’s population census is finalized, a calculation (called the equal proportions method) generates the new number of districts for each state. Since the number of districts is set by law at 435, states essentially gain or lose representation (and electoral votes) based on how much the population changes relative to the country’s total population change.

The arguments for and against seem, at best, tenuous and specious. The system is outdated. There should be one person, one vote. It’s time to abolish the Electoral College. After 250 years of this system, it is time for change. One person, one vote.

Bruce Piatz is a resident of Jamestown.