AHC: American Electoral Reform

[Commissar From Kiev]

Here's my challenge: have the United States undergo some kind of electoral reform for either the presidential or Congressional elections, preferably both. You must have at least one of these events take place:

~The Electoral College is reformed to make the allocation of EVs more proportional.
~Congressional elections shift from first-past-the-post to another form of election, such IRV or STV.

Are you prepared?

 

[Reminiscence]

Here's my challenge: have the United States undergo some kind of electoral reform for either the presidential or Congressional elections, preferably both. You must have at least one of these events take place:

~The Electoral College is reformed to make the allocation of EVs more proportional.
~Congressional elections shift from first-past-the-post to another form of election, such IRV or STV.

Are you prepared?

For the first one, you kinda have to get rid of federalism. Smaller states will always get more delegates proportionally because of it.

For the second one, I don't think it would be too difficult. Disemboweling the institutions that constitute the two party system would be a rather large prerequisite, though.

 

[Pericles]

In my Kerry TL, there were recounts and different electoral vote winners to popular vote winners twice in a row. That would inspire both Democrats and Republicans to go for the NPVIC. Perhaps in 2016 I'll have the NPVIC get over 270 EVs. That'd be a good twist.

 

[Indicus]

The first one is pretty easy. Just have the 1968 election end with a hung college. The total clusterfuck that would follow would convince the US to reform the EC and this is pretty easy to do considering how close the election was. Just look at Fear, Loathing, and Gumbo to see the total chaos resulting from a hung EC.

The second one is far harder. Perhaps the Democrats gerrymander the districts so horribly while they were in power the Republicans begin winning decisive majorities but Congress is still Democratic-controlled?

 

[AltHistoryNerd]

Here's how. Louisiana style primaries. Top 2 candidates from opposing parties then go on to the general election.

The popular vote also counts as 10 electoral votes.

In case of an electoral tie, the electoral votes are then calculated by congressional district, minus DC's districts (535).

 

[Admiral Beez]

Can we fix 2012's and earlier Gerrymandering?

 

[Commissar From Kiev]

The first one is pretty easy. Just have the 1968 election end with a hung college. The total clusterfuck that would follow would convince the US to reform the EC and this is pretty easy to do considering how close the election was. Just look at Fear, Loathing, and Gumbo to see the total chaos resulting from a hung EC.

The second one is far harder. Perhaps the Democrats gerrymander the districts so horribly while they were in power the Republicans begin winning decisive majorities but Congress is still Democratic-controlled?

1. That would work. I can imagine the spectre of George Wallace going a great way in convincing both Democrats and Republicans to form the Electoral College.
Maybe if Nixon makes an extra gaffe or two, then Wallace narrowly wins an extra state and Humphrey takes some of the closer states, and there's a hung EC . . . oh my.
Y'know, I might look to collab with someone on a TL where this takes place and leads to electoral reform.

2. Also, a good idea. I could imagine one party gerrymandering the districts to hell, winning the majority of seats yet the minority of votes a few times in a row, and after the other party comes to power, they start reforming the system.

Here's how. Louisiana style primaries. Top 2 candidates from opposing parties then go on to the general election.

The popular vote also counts as 10 electoral votes.

In case of an electoral tie, the electoral votes are then calculated by congressional district, minus DC's districts (535).

This Louisiana system is actually similar to how the president of France is elected, by two-round runoff voting.

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

Here's my challenge: have the United States undergo some kind of electoral reform for either the presidential or Congressional elections, preferably both. You must have at least one of these events take place:

~The Electoral College is reformed to make the allocation of EVs more proportional.

The Electoral College is proportional. There is a modest advantage to the smaller states.

~Congressional elections shift from first-past-the-post to another form of election, such IRV or STV.

Louisiana has a "jungle primary" system in which all candidates compete; if no candidate gets over 50%, there is a run-off between the top two. That could be adopted generally, though most states would not want it.

 

[Commissar From Kiev]

The Electoral College is proportional. There is a modest advantage to the smaller states.



Louisiana has a "jungle primary" system in which all candidates compete; if no candidate gets over 50%, there is a run-off between the top two. That could be adopted generally, though most states would not want it.

Firstly, I meant proportional to the popular vote.

But your second point would certainly work. It actually mirrors how French elections work.