President Would Be Elected Directly by the American People
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, February 7th, Congressman Gene Green introduced a joint resolution, H.J.Res. 65, the Every Vote Counts Amendment, in the U.S. House of Representatives to amend the Constitution to abolish the Electoral College and require the President and Vice President be directly elected by the people.
“Every important elected office in America today is chosen directly by the people, except the President. The 2000 and 2016 elections have shown us that the Electoral College system is failing, undermining our nation’s basic principles of democracy and equality,” said Congressman Gene Green.
“One of the hallmarks of American democracy is its ability to adapt and respond to the people,” remarked Congressman Green. “Over 100 years ago, the Constitution was amended to require U.S. Senators be directly elected by the voting public in response to concerns similar to the Electoral College today. It is time for Congress and the states to get to work and give the power back to the American people.”
The Electoral College was created in the 18th century when communications were poor, literacy was low, and voters lacked information about out-of-state candidates. Section Three of the Every Vote Counts Amendment reads: “The persons having the greatest number of votes for President and Vice President shall be elected.”
The Every Vote Counts Amendment was introduced with 21 original cosponsors: Reps. Brendan Boyle, Julia Brownley, David Cicilline, Yvette Clarke, Steve Cohen, Joe Courtney, Peter DeFazio, Keith Ellison, Adriano Espaillat, John Garamendi, Al Green, Jared Huffman, Ted Lieu, James McGovern, Mark Pocan, Jan Schakowsky, Jose Serrano, Brad Sherman, Eric Swalwell, Juan Vargas, Filemon Vela.