Electoral College Reform: The Top-Two Proportional Solution

Report
Brief
May 1, 2020
Election Reformers Network
Research by FairVote shows that presidential campaigns
try to appeal mainly to a small handful of states.

We need a new idea.

Election Reformers Network has developed a "Top-Two" Proportional Allocation Amendment:

  • To end winner-take-all (which causes most of the problem and is not in the Constitution), states are required to allocate their electoral votes proportionally to the top two vote-getters in the state.
  • The proportional calculation is carried out to the right of the decimal point – this means fractional electoral votes are available in every state for every candidate, creating a true national campaign.
  • Significantly reduces the impact of a “spoiler candidate.”
  • Elections remain state-based; there is no pooling of results across state lines, and states can easily add in ranked choice voting or other innovations as they see fit.
  • No change in the formula for number of electors per state. (The disproportionate impact of voters in small states can be reduced separately by increasing the size of the House of Representatives).
  • Fixes “black swan” problems like a presidential election being “Thrown to the House.”

To learn more, see the links in the side menu for a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation, an independent documentary on the subject, and a December 2020 article detailing the need for change in GOVERNING.