Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, said Tuesday that ending the Electoral College is a smart option.
In a video posted to Twitter, the Texas Democrat said “there’s a lot of wisdom” in removing the system.
“You had an election in 2016 where the loser got 3 million more votes than the victor,” he said. “It puts some states out of play altogether. They don’t feel like their votes really count.”
He added, “If we really want every person to vote, give them every reason to vote. We’ve got to make sure their votes count and go to the candidate of their choosing.”
Mr. O’Rourke joins recent calls made by other Democratic presidential candidates to remove the executive election system, which has been used for 230 years.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said in a CNN town hall Monday that she wants the Electoral College abolished, stating “every vote matters” but only if “we can have national voting.”
SEE ALSO: Elizabeth Warren, in CNN town hall, calls for abolishing electoral college
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg also has called to upend the centuries-old process.
Delaware and Colorado recently have taken steps to join an alliance of states vowing to award their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote. However, the group of blue states are short of the 270 electoral votes needed to enact the bill.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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