y the people of each congressional district; and the general ticket, or a winner-take-all system, where a popular vote was held in the entire state, and the winner took all electoral votes (Glennon 12). Many have tried to reform by making a more uniform system state by state, but the constitution is very clear that it is each state's own decision of how to choose electors. This is one right that congress definitely does not have to change. The legislative system eventually failed because of too much bargaining, promises, and payoffs. The district system eventually lost popularity because it encourages third parties. This left the general ticket system as the dominating system (Glennon 13). However, the framers originally intended electors to be chosen by the people and then vote for what they thought was best. This winner take all system had turned the electors into "mere mandarin toys that nod when set in motion," according to Professor Lucius Wilmerding (Glennon 13). There are two states that still use the district system, but the remaining 48 states use the general ticket system ("Electoral" 256). Most all states no longer show the electors' names on the ballot. The voter votes for either the president or the party that they wish to hold office. This causes a problem of the unfaithful elector. Electors are expected to ratify the people's choice by voting for candidates winning the popular election. Electors that do not vote for what they are expected to vote for are considered faithless or unfaithful electors. This has not traditionally been a problem in the history of the electoral college but it could possibly be a problem. Less than 1% of electors have ever misrepresented their community (Glennon 32). 26 states do not require an elector to vote for what they have pledged to vote for by state law (Glennon 32). Basically the electoral college system works like this today. Every ten years the census figures adjusts how many represent...
