Massachusetts Republican Elector, Professor Weigh in on Electoral College

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) filed a bill Tuesday that would eliminate the Electoral College

Since the election, people across the country are weighing in on the Electoral College and why we still have it.

On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) filed a bill that would eliminate the Electoral College, so that presidential elections would be decided by the popular vote.

This comes after last week's win by President-elect Trump when he won the election by electoral votes and not the popular vote like his opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, is one among many Democrats calling for an end to the Electoral College.

Once an intense critic of the Electoral College, Trump took to Twitter Tuesday morning tweeting, "The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!"

UMass Boston Professor Erin O'Brien says the electoral college was put in place to provide more geographic representation in the electoral process though she adds that is not a very satisfying argument to Democrats who have lost two presidential races in the past 16 years despite winning the popular vote.

"For somebody as competitive and I think it is fair to say, thin skinned, Donald Trump doesn't like the conversation about losing the popular vote which he did," O'Brien said. "Democrats are not going to be the party that takes the White House despite the fact more Americans citizens voted for them. You would think we would be able to fix that."

Janet Fogarty, a Trump supporter and a Republican Elector from Massachusetts, says she will not be voting in the Electoral College in December. That job will go to Democratic Electors since the state of Massachusetts voted for Hillary Clinton.

Fogarty says she does believe in the system and says Trump has proven why the it works.

"He took his campaign to really far reaching places in the country that most republican candidates wouldn't even bother going to. Like Michigan or the blue states and he did that and it worked," Fogarty said.

Two Democratic members of the electoral college are attempting a last ditch effort to stop Trump from winning the presidency by calling on "Never Trump" Republican electors around the country to vote against him on December 19th when the electoral college's 538 members cast the final formal vote in their respective state capitals. But they would have to convince 37 Republicans to vote against Trump and no one thinks that is going to happen.

Most political operatives agree that like it or not, the electoral college is here to stay.

Contact Us