Should the Electoral College be abolished?

A majority of Americans believe the Electoral College should be eliminated. This hour -- the history of the electoral system and what should replace it.

Listen 49:43
A voter fills out his ballot during early voting

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Five times in U.S. history the presidential winner has lost the popular vote, including in the 2000 and 2016 elections. This has heightened calls to abolish what some say is an antiquated system of electors. This hour, we look at the Electoral College, its history – including how slavery stood in the way of early attempts to switch to a direct national election – and why it’s becoming increasingly problematic. We’ll also discuss what system should replace it. Our guests are JESSE WEGMAN, New York Times editorial board member and author of Let the People Pick the President, and KIM WEHLE, law professor and author of What You Need to Know About Voting.

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