New York Governor Calls to End Electoral College: ‘America Should And Must Have Their Votes Count Equally’

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) railed against the Electoral College on Tuesday and called for its elimination presiding over the state’s electoral vote count in Albany.

“Historians tell us that the Electoral College was a result of a compromise devised by our founders in search of a consensus when a unified United States of America simply didn’t exist. And 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,” Hochul began, adding:

I believe that we must reflect on whether the time for this particular institution, the Electoral College, has passed. Now recall that the Constitution, as ratified, also contain provisions that we consider abhorrent. Such as women and people of color being denied the fundamental right in a democracy, the right to vote.

The founders themselves created a path to amend our Constitution to keep it a living document to be adapted as future generations and circumstances and times require. For the Electoral College, that time has come. Unfairly, less populated states have outsize influence and in effect, the votes of their residents count more than the residents of a state like New York.

Consider that a single elector in Wyoming, no offense to Wyoming, represents 200,000 residents. And in New York, an elector like you, represent 700,000. And this convoluted process also leads candidates for president to spend an inordinate amount of time in a few swing states rather than appealing to the voters of our entire country. 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 concluded by reminding her listeners of the 2016 presidential election, in which Donald Trump became president while losing the popular vote by a significant margin.

“Something I recall as I sat in this room right there. Next to President Bill Clinton when we were both electors in 2016. In short, the Electoral College does not contribute to the overriding objective as set forth in our great Constitution, ‘We the people forming a more perfect union.’ And I strongly believe that the people of New York State and the United States of America should and must have their votes count equally and that the popular vote should prevail. It’s time to amend the Constitution and relegate the institution of the Electoral College to the history books. As governor of the Empire State and president of this Electoral College. I am ready to do my part,” concluded the New York Democrat.

Watch the clip above.