League of Women Voters reaffirms call for abolition of the Electoral College
Local League leaders attend national convention in Chicago
–Co-Presidents Ann Havlik and Cindy Marie Absey represented the League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County at the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) 53rd National Convention held in Chicago June 28 – July 1. The event kicked off a two-year celebration of the coming 100th Anniversary in 2020 of women gaining the right to vote and the establishment of the League of Women Voters. More than 1,000 League leaders from 49 states and the District of Columbia attended the convention.
Over the four-day convention, delegates voted on the national organization’s priorities. Convention attendees discussed the Electoral College system of electing the U.S. President and Vice President and overwhelmingly passed a resolution reaffirming the league’s long-held position that the Electoral College should be abolished in favor of a popular vote for president.
“The Electoral College discourages people from voting because they feel their votes do not count, and it magnifies the divisiveness in our country by emphasizing a false blue state/red state divide,” said Havlik.
The League of Women Voters first called for an end to the Electoral College in favor of a popular vote system in 1970. The issue received more attention after the 2000 and 2016 Presidential elections, when the winners in the Electoral College lost the popular vote. The League’s position on the Electoral College is just one part of its Campaign for Making Democracy Work, which includes ensuring a free, fair, and accessible electoral system for all eligible voters.
The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information contact the league at [email protected] or go to the website www.lwvslo.org.
