To the Editor:

Re “Why Getting the Most Votes Matters,” by Jesse Wegman (Opinion, Dec. 14):

Mr. Wegman presents an eloquent case for unfettered majoritarian rule for the United States, including in presidential elections. After all, who could disagree with shoring up values like “equality, legitimacy and accountability”? His argument, however, falls short in two respects.

First, claiming that Joe Biden should be president not because he won the Electoral College but because “he won the most votes” fails to account for the rules of the present system, whereby Republicans barely campaign in populous Democratic states like California and New York.

Second, and more important, while recognizing the critical role of the “will of the people” in the American system, America’s founders had grave concerns about pure majority rule, which John Adams referred to as “democratical despotism,” and James Madison vividly described as a system where “the few will be unnecessarily sacrificed to the many.”

The solution was not just checks and balances in governing institutions, and a national Bill of Rights, but also indirect elections for president through the Electoral College. Indeed, it was this very system that compelled Democrats in 2020 to select the moderate Joe Biden over a progressive like Elizabeth Warren. Instead of trying to undo the wise and pragmatic work of the founders, Democrats and their supporters should be thanking them.

Stuart Gottlieb
New York
The writer, a former Senate adviser and speechwriter, teaches public policy at Columbia.

To the Editor:

There are two additional critical reasons beyond those Jesse Wegman cites that the Electoral College should be abandoned:

First, by eliminating battleground states, which the Electoral College creates, it would become virtually impossible to “fix” an election. Currently results in battleground states — say Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia, which are often close — can often determine who becomes president. To “fix” an election, one would have to change votes in a very few states by a small number. Without the Electoral College, every vote throughout the country would be equal. There would be too many votes to change.

Second, candidates would have to campaign in virtually every state. When is the last time Democrats or Republicans bothered to seriously campaign in California, New York, Texas, Kansas, the Dakotas or any other non-battleground state? Their electoral votes are already predicted. Instead they campaign in states whose electoral outcome is usually close.

Without the Electoral College, every vote would be equal. Candidates would have to appeal to everyone, not just those in battleground states, and campaign in all the states.

Peter Philip
Hillsdale, N.J.

To the Editor:

This election could have had a different outcome had the voters of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Wisconsin, with roughly a differential total of 76,000 votes, favored Donald Trump instead of Joe Biden. Their 43 electoral votes would have given the presidency to Mr. Trump despite Mr. Biden’s having seven million more popular votes than Mr. Trump.

Will we ever get rid of this albatross?

Floyd Caplan
Hamden, Conn.