In his Nov. 18 column defending the Electoral College as it now exists, M.D. Harmon advocates, in effect, special protection for a small minority of Americans against what he sees as possible majority tyranny. The minority he regards as needing special protection is the population of small states with, perhaps not surprisingly, mostly white people.

In order to prevent this perceived tyranny, he likes the fact that greater weight is given to the presidential votes of these people than those of the frequently darker people in more populous states. Currently one vote in Wyoming counts as much as approximately 3.64 votes in California.

Mr. Harmon couches his defense of the Electoral College in conservative language, crediting the wisdom of the Founding Fathers. However, current reality is much different from the political concerns of 1787. The Declaration of Independence said that “All men are created equal,” which since has come to apply to both men and women. This principle is a fundamental value that should govern all of our politics.

The current Electoral College has twice in the 21st century resulted in presidential victors without a plurality of votes, including the current president-elect, who received 2 million fewer votes than his opponent did. Given current population trends, this circumstance is likely to occur more frequently.

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement among states and the District of Columbia to award all their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote once states totaling 270 electoral votes join the compact. Currently 10 states and the District of Columbia have joined.

The effect is to ensure that thereafter the winner of the popular vote wins the presidency, thus eliminating the discrimination that presently exists against large numbers of voters. And it does not require a constitutional amendment.

Meredith N. Springer

Scarborough

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