ALBANY, N.Y. (1010 WINS) – Gov. Kathy Hochul called to end the Electoral College while overseeing New York’s electoral votes for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in Albany on Tuesday.
She stated that the centuries-old system undermines equal voting rights and called for a national popular vote to determine the presidency.
“The Electoral College was a result of compromise devised by our founders in search of a consensus when a unified United States of America simply didn’t exist,” Hochul said. “In many regards, we honor the talents, the wisdom, and the genius of our Founding Fathers. But there are shortcomings that still impact us today.”
The Electoral College assigns each state electors based on its congressional delegation, with New York’s 28 electors voting for the candidate who won the state’s popular vote. Hochul criticized the system, saying it gives smaller states disproportionate influence.
She stressed on the unequal representation, pointing out that “a single elector in Wyoming, no offense to Wyoming, represents 200,000 residents. And in New York, an elector like you represents 700,000.” The system forces presidential candidates to focus disproportionately on swing states instead of appealing to voters nationwide, she added.
This has resulted in candidates winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote, as happened with Donald Trump in 2016 and George W. Bush in 2000.
“And in the worst case scenario, it means that a person can become president of the United States, even if he or she did not win the popular vote,” Hochul said. “In short, the Electoral College does not contribute to the overriding objectives set forth in our great Constitution.”
New York’s electors cast all 28 votes for Harris for president and Walz for vice president. Harris carried New York by 12 points in the November election. This is the first time New York has had only 28 electoral votes due to population changes reflected in the 2020 Census.
The ballots cast by New York’s electors will be formally counted by Congress on Jan. 6. Trump, who won the Electoral College with 312 votes, will be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025.
This year, Trump also won the popular vote, defeating Harris by more than 2 million votes, according to the Associated Press.
“We, the people, forming a more perfect union, should and must have our votes count equally, and the popular vote should prevail,” Hochul said. “It’s time to amend the Constitution and relegate the institution of the Electoral College to the history books.”