Rangel Introduces Bill to Abolish the Electoral College

Press Release

Congressman Charles B. Rangel introduced, H.J. Res 103, a bill today that would allow Congress to vote to eliminate the Electoral College system and decide future presidential elections by the outcome of the popular vote. This legislation is the House companion bill to S.J.Res.41, introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on November 15, 2016.

"I came to Congress on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, and I know how hard we fought for the sacred right to vote," said Rangel. "To protect it, everyone should have access to the vote, and every vote must count. The fact that a candidate can receive more votes than the other but lose the election is fundamentally undemocratic."

Secretary Hillary Clinton, who received at least 62,825,754 votes in the presidential election, won the popular vote over Donald Trump. It is estimated that by the time all the votes are counted, Secretary Clinton may win the popular vote by over two million votes and more than 1.5 percentage points. However, Secretary Clinton lost the Electoral College 232 to 306. This makes Donald Trump the fifth person in U.S. history and the second this century to lose the popular vote and still win the presidency.

The Boxer-Rangel legislation seeks to amend the U.S. Constitution and abolish the Electoral College. The amendment would take effect if ratified by three-fourths of the states within seven years after its passage in the U.S. Congress.

"It is time that we do away the antiquated and obsolete Electoral College system. True democracy should guarantee one person, one vote," Rangel added.

Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represents the 13th Congressional District of New York that includes Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, will be retiring at the end of the 114th Congress after 46 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is currently the second longest serving member in the U.S. Congress. A champion of civil rights, he marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 with John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr.

Source