According to Gallup, they believe the president should be elected based on the popular vote, reflecting the choice of the people directly. How Electoral College works
A majority of Americans support amending the U.S. Constitution to elect presidents based on the popular vote, with 58% favoring this change, according to Gallup.
In contrast, 39% prefer maintaining the current system, where the president is elected through the Electoral College. Gallup’s data has shown consistent support for the popular vote in most surveys since 2000, with a notable exception in 2016, when the public was evenly divided after Donald Trump won the electoral vote while Hillary Clinton secured the popular vote. This phenomenon, though rare, also occurred in 2000.
Historically, Gallup has found even greater support for eliminating the Electoral College. A November 1968 survey, following a highly contested election, recorded 80% of Americans approving of an amendment to abolish the Electoral College and elect the president by the total national vote. Other surveys from that era showed similar levels of support, including 66% in May 1968 and 73% in January 1977.
Recent Gallup polling reveals clear partisan divides on the issue. Since 2000, Democrats have consistently supported the popular vote system more than Republicans and independents, with 82% of Democrats currently in favor.
Following the 2016 election, Republican support for the popular vote system dropped to 17%, though it has since rebounded to 32%. Still, 66% of Republicans favor keeping the Electoral College. Independent voters today hold views similar to those from 2000, although their support for amending the Constitution also dipped after 2016.
Gallup’s historical data shows that, during the 1960s through the 1980s, both Republicans and Democrats were almost equally likely to support abolishing the Electoral College, with an average of 70% of Republicans and 66% of Democrats favoring the change.
In summary, while most Americans support a constitutional amendment to elect the president by popular vote, the likelihood of such an amendment passing is slim. Amending the Constitution requires significant political consensus, which remains elusive, particularly with the growing partisan divide on the issue. An alternative proposal, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, is gaining traction, but its implementation would likely face legal challenges.
How does the Electoral College process work?
- After you cast your ballot for president, your vote goes to a statewide tally. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., the winner gets all the electoral votes for that state. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system.
- A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electors—more than half of all electors—to win the presidential election.
- In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in November after you vote. But the actual Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December when the electors meet in their states. See the Electoral College timeline of events for the 2020 election.
While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state’s popular vote, some states do. The rare elector who votes for someone else may be fined, disqualified, and replaced by a substitute elector. Or they may even be prosecuted by their state.
Learn more about how the Electoral College works.
Unusual Electoral College scenarios
Winning the popular vote but losing the election
It is possible to win the Electoral College but lose the popular vote. This happened in 2016, 2000, and three times in the 1800s.
What happens if no candidate wins the majority of electoral votes?
If no candidate receives the majority of electoral votes, the vote goes to the House of Representatives.
This has happened twice. The first time was following the 1800 presidential election when the House chose Thomas Jefferson. And following the 1824 presidential election, the House selected John Quincy Adams as president.