Kentucky governor expresses support for abolishing Electoral College

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday described the popular vote as a better form of democracy than the Electoral College laid out in the U.S. Constitution. To truly get an election for all Americans, the Electoral College should be abolished, he said at a weekly press conference.

What was his rationale? More candidates would come to Kentucky and give every state a more significant role in choosing leaders, Beshear added. He alluded to the overshadowing importance of swing states, theorizing that if only ballot numbers mattered, candidates would value all voters equally instead of courting particular states. He admitted it was unlikely that the Electoral College would be dissolved anytime soon, but said doing so would help Americans to feel their votes really do matter.

How did critics respond? GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he was not surprised by Beshear’s comments. Democrats disregard and almost scorn constitutional guardrails that safeguard the U.S. political system, and have for a long time, McConnell said in a Thursday statement. At its core, the Electoral College protects Americans from the whims of the majority, and it's what makes America’s sprawling elections possible, he continued. The college ensures leaders govern nationally and visit small states like Kentucky rather than pandering to high-population areas like California, McConnell said. Beshear just doesn't like how Kentuckians vote in elections, Kentucky’s Republican party alleged.

A Pew Research Center poll released in September showed over 60 percent of U.S. adults supporting the popular vote system over the Electoral College. Around 80 percent of Democrats supported replacing the college, with about 46 percent of Republicans in agreement.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report for more insight on how the Electoral College works.