Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected]
If all states and territories had the same amount of electoral votes and the votes were distributed by the popular votes cast, percentage wise that is, then the states would be somewhat equal nationwide. But when one state has more electoral votes than another, then the balance of power is unequal, taking away the importance of the smaller states. That means Maine with less than 2 million people would have less importance than the cities of Boston, New York and any other city with more than 2 million people.
I think that alone shows the unfairness of the Electoral College. The popular vote is somewhat unbalanced, but at least our votes would be added with the votes of the other states, giving our votes some weight toward the total for determining the winner. I still lean toward the popular vote method, but, if each state had the same number of electoral votes and they were divided by the percentage of their votes cast, then I could lean toward the electoral system.
We may be fewer in numbers, but as a state, we are still one among 50 and deserve an equal part in national elections. If we don’t make our voice heard, our elected representatives will just go with the flow. We deserve better than that. If we don’t vote, we then get just what we deserve.
Timothy Smyth
Millinocket
