People talk about abolishing the Electoral College system. If that happened, how many candidates would run in the general election for president? ~

Seven? Eight? If we had a national popular vote system, lots of people could run and a candidate could be elected with 30% or less of the vote. Never mind what the Trump people are screaming about now, imagine the potential for election cheating and fraud in a system like that.

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luckranger71 · 51-55, M

I think you’d still have the same two major party candidates because there is no way a third party could gain traction in Congress due to winner take all districts. So there would be little ability to fundraise for a 3rd party candidate for President without a party infrastructure below him.

Which is why only Ross Perot -with his own money — was the only person to run a semi credible 3rd party candidacy in the last half century. And he finished 3rd.

RedBaron · M

@luckranger71 But without the Electoral College, it would be easier for individuals wealthy enough to finance their own campaigns, like Perot, Steve Forbes, or Mike Bloomberg, to run and possibly win because they could go straight to the general election without having to win a major party nomination by putting together a coalition of delegate support across the country.

DragonFruit · 61-69, M

@RedBaron Why would it be easier to finance their own campaigns? They can do that now....but their chances of winning without major party support will be very slim (with or without an electoral college).

RedBaron · M

@DragonFruit Not if they only needed, say, 30% of the vote to win. They could bypass the primaries and just run in the general election.