Current Events > Wisconsin GOP looking to appoint electoral votes by district

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2021/01/08/gop-eyes-bill-to-reallocate-wisconsins-electoral-votes-by-congressional-district/

If Wisconsin had picked its Electoral College delegates using a congressional district method, President Donald Trump would have received the majority of Wisconsins 10 votes in 2020. Six, to be precise.

And that is what a new bill authored by Rep. Gary Tauchen (R-Bonduel) would do. It would make Wisconsin a state where the winner of the popular vote does not get all or even necessarily the most Electoral College votes. Tauchens bill (LRB 0513/1) would distribute the presidential electors by assigning one vote for each of Wisconsins eight congressional districts, then giving the remaining two electors to the statewide winner of the popular vote.
That would exacerbate partisanship and give added incentive to gerrymander the map of Wisconsins congressional districts to favor one party over the other, says UW-Madison Prof. Barry Burden, founder and director of the Elections Research Center.

Doing it by congressional district is actually a terrible idea, because what it will do is amp up the partisan efforts to draw those districts to favor one side or the other, says Burden. Its already an ugly process, but it will be on steroids if those districts affect not only control of Congress but also control the presidency.

Thats not how Tauchen sees it. He has not responded for comment, but in his memo seeking other representatives to cosponsor his bill, he claims it would be progressive.

Given the numerous political views and progressive history, this alternative distribution system would better reflect Wisconsins diverse political landscape, he writes. The winner of a congressional district would be awarded that districts sole elector.

Burden says he sees the surface-level initial appeal at the idea of the parties sharing and each having some electors from the state. But thats not how it would work, in reality, for Wisconsin. Because the congressional districts are gerrymandered by Republicans to favor Republicans, five of the eight districts are held by Republicans. Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kinds district in western Wisconsin also went to Trump in both 2016 and 2020, although Kind has continued to be elected to Congress, however with shrinking margins as rural Wisconsin gets more Republican and suburbs lean increasingly toward Democrats.

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Republicans trying to cheat? Im shocked

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They don't have a supermajority in the state legislature anymore, right?

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The GOP still trying its hardest to give empty tracts of land more power
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Bananana posted...

Republicans trying to cheat? Im shocked

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People vote not land.

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Bananana posted...

Republicans trying to cheat? Im shocked

It's not cheating. It'd be entirely legal if this passed, which due to the Democratic governor is unlikely for now.

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I almost swallowed my tongue chortling when he had the nerve to call it progressive when it is demonstrably regressive.

Progressive would be to divide the electors proportionally along the popular vote. That would cause the electoral vote to accurately represent that of the people.

"I oppose affirmative action."

"Okay, I get that's a contentious issue. Anyway, what do you think about the popular vote being used to determine the presidency?"

"FARMERS CAN'T JUST BE RULED BY CITY FOLK! LAND HAS A VOICE TOO, REEEEEEEEEEEEE"

electorcollegesupport.wav

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realnifty1 posted...

I almost swallowed my tongue chortling when he had the nerve to call it progressive when it is demonstrably regressive.

Progressive would be to divide the electors proportionally along the popular vote. That would cause the electoral vote to accurately represent that of the people.

That's called the Jefferson / D'Hondt system. Used by places like iceland. If we used it in georgia then Warnock & Purdue would be going to the Senate right now

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Tyranthraxus posted...

That's called the Jefferson / D'Hondt system. Used by places like iceland. If we used it in georgia then Warnock & Purdue would be going to the Senate right now

It's doubtful that Senate races would change as they are decided individually and on different term cycles. This year was just a special case with Loeffler having been appointed at the end of 2019 to replace Isakson until the next general election. Warnock is now just finishing out Isakson's original term and will actually be back up for re-election in 2022 whereas Ossof's term runs until 2026.

realnifty1 posted...

I almost swallowed my tongue chortling when he had the nerve to call it progressive when it is demonstrably regressive.

Progressive would be to divide the electors proportionally along the popular vote. That would cause the electoral vote to accurately represent that of the people.

And this should only be done if all the states do it. Would be dumb if California and New York do this, but then Texas refuses.

realnifty1 posted...

It's doubtful that Senate races would change as they are decided individually and on different term cycles. This year was just a special case with Loeffler having been appointed at the end of 2019 to replace Isakson until the next general election. Warnock is now just finishing out Isakson's original term and will actually be back up for re-election in 2022 whereas Ossof's term runs until 2026.

Yeah. You're right. This would make sense for the house but not the Senate.

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I mean, a more proportionate distribution of electoral college votes would be a good thing, this is clearly just trying to cheat and would obviously be a bad idea if doing it lead 6 of those 10 votes to go to Biden.

CruelBuffalo posted...

And this should only be done if all the states do it. Would be dumb if California and New York do this, but then Texas refuses.

Therein lies the rub and the reason there is so little movement to create a more direct representative vote for President. Fixing your own State actually effectively neutralizes you nationally. That's why the National Popular Vote Interstate Pact has been making its way through various State Legislatures ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact ).

It sidesteps gaining better electoral representation by binding the signed States to the will of the Popular Vote once enough States have signed on (enough means enough States to total 270 Electoral Votes). I have often wondered if the renewed interest in the last 10-15 years about Voter Fraud was due to the traction this has been gaining. Since Presidential elections are not run Federally, but by the States themselves a widespread believe of Voter Fraud in opposition States leads to mistrust of the general election numbers and in turn a harder sell to your constituents why you are now pledging the State electors to a candidate that did not carry the State.

Unsurprisingly, the idea is spreading:
https://twitter.com/NickLaFave/status/1348833617456336897


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I dont even want congressional seats to be done by congressional districts. When the folks in power can control the boundaries that decide their voting base, it gives a strong incentive to draw fucked up districts that result in the states set of representatives not aligning with the proportions of voters for each party.

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i mean if swing states want to break their own election power that's fine with me

if republicans have to split the MI/WI/PA/FL votes they'll never win the presidency

ever

even with gerrymandered districts that sharply favor the republican

their strategy is completely reliant on winning 100% of those EV with 50.1% of the votes

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uwnim posted...

I dont even want congressional seats to be done by congressional districts. When the folks in power can control the boundaries that decide their voting base, it gives a strong incentive to draw fucked up districts that result in the states set of representatives not aligning with the proportions of voters for each party.

When you're right, you're right

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Sackgurl posted...

if republicans have to split the MI/WI/PA/FL votes they'll never win the presidency

If you evenly split the EVs of MI, WI, PA, GA, and AZ Trump would have won. And this plan would result in a split slightly in Trump's favor.

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Antifar posted...

Unsurprisingly, the idea is spreading:
https://twitter.com/NickLaFave/status/1348833617456336897

At that point they might just admit the EC system is heavily flawed and they should get rid of it. But of course they'll ignore the times when they benefit from it.

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so the GOP loved the EC 4 years ago but not now???

WHY????????????!?!

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E32005 posted...

so the GOP loved the EC 4 years ago but not now???

WHY????????????!?!

Because they basically want the system to only work in their favor. They don't want fair elections.

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All you ITT trying to construct logic traps for Republicans like Wile E Coyote painting a tunnel onto the side of a cliff.

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Tmaster148 posted...

Because they basically want the system to only work in their favor. They don't want fair elections.

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??

but all the alt right trolls just want fairness!!!

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Antifar posted...

It's not cheating. It'd be entirely legal if this passed, which due to the Democratic governor is unlikely for now.

Yes, technically. But you know what he means. Many examples of gerrymandering and voter suppression and the like have been deemed legal before. It's still the minority trying to stack the system so they can get a disproportionally high amount of power.

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Antifar posted...

If you evenly split the EVs of MI, WI, PA, GA, and AZ Trump would have won. And this plan would result in a split slightly in Trump's favor.

and he would have lost if FL was split too

yes, if only handled in the manner most objectively beneficial to republicans--splitting all democratic wins this cycle and splitting zero republican wins--it'd have led to a trump victory

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Sackgurl posted...

yes, if only handled in the manner most objectively beneficial to republicans--splitting all democratic wins this cycle and splitting zero republican wins--it'd have led to a trump victory

That is precisely the way Republicans would do it, though. This push will not happen in Florida

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