Columnist Steve Chapman advocates abolishing the Electoral College (“The Electoral College’s crumbling case,” Commentary, Aug. 15). Even if such a sweeping change were desirable, it would require amending the U.S. Constitution, a highly unlikely prospect.
A simpler and more politically feasible way to reform the Electoral College is to allocate most electoral votes by congressional district rather than by winner-take-all statewide. Two states already follow this procedure, which requires only a statutory change, not a constitutional amendment.
This reform would greatly reduce the chance that a winner in the Electoral College would lose the popular vote. It would also give presidential candidates incentive to campaign in states such as Illinois, which they now avoid.
