The Founding Fathers viewed the Electoral College as a handful of worthies choosing among their peers. Over time, this evolved, without any massive changes in the Constitution, into a state-by-state winner-take-all system based on popular votes. As a result of this strange and unnecessary system, the vast majority of votes are essentially meaningless, with all of the attention being placed on a relatively few number of votes in swing states. Can the system be revised to be more democratic without revising the Constitution?
Yes. The current system is only mandated in the Constitution to the extent that the Electoral College is required, and the number of votes given each state is set out. The document itself says nothing about a winner-take-all system of allocating electoral votes within each state. In fact, that system is inconsistent with the FF’s original vision.
Allocating electoral votes based on proportions of the popular vote in each state would comply with both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. How can we get there? Start with the swing states. Their elections supervisors are under enormous stress, and the parties know that a few popular votes can make all of the difference between winning everything and losing it all. Wouldn’t it be safer for everyone to use proportions? Wouldn’t it eliminate lots of stress for everyone? Of course it would. No more peering at hanging chads! Less at stake in suppressing votes! Wouldn’t that be an improvement over the current system?
If the entire country accepted this system, we would have something very similar to a national popular vote, and states which get no attention from the candidates today would matter, all without going through a hopeless amendment process. I just don’t see a down side to it.