TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Sen. Nelson Wants To Revamp Voting, Scrap Electoral College
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: March 27, 2008
WASHINGTON - The battle over whether Florida's Democratic delegates should be seated at the party's national convention this summer is yet more proof that America's electoral system is "broken," U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said.
Sen. Bill Nelson
Nelson plans to be in Tallahassee this morning to deliver an address from the state Senate floor to propose a major election process overhaul - including the politically improbable notion of dumping the Electoral College in favor of a national popular vote.
"The time for reform is now," Nelson said in an advance copy of the Democratic senator's speech sent out by his staff Wednesday.
Nelson, whose own state has been in the center of a series of recent election controversies, has called for electoral changes before.
Now, the senior Florida senator is seizing on the latest controversy - the battle over Florida's Democratic delegates - to renew that effort..
The Democratic National Committee stripped Florida of its delegates to the party's nominating convention because the state moved its primary to Jan. 29, when party rules held that only four other states could hold their contests before Feb. 5.
Since then, Florida Democrats, led by Nelson, have fought to find some way the state can still be represented at the convention.
But Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois have been unable to agree on any solution. And any agreement would still have to be approved by the national party.
Nelson's frustration comes after he first sued the national party and lost in court over the action against his state's Democrats last year.
A Clinton backer, he has since also proposed a mail-in revote or the possibility of dividing Florida's delegates by half, and then allotting them based on the results of the Jan. 29 primary, which Clinton won. The revote idea has been rejected, though, and the idea of dividing the delegates has not yet gotten anywhere.
"In December, I lost that court fight," Nelson said in the early version of his speech. "But I have continued to push for my party to find a way to seat a delegation from Florida, while giving Floridians a meaningful voice in the selection of their party's nominee."
"If nothing else, this election has provided further evidence that our system is broken," Nelson said.
As a result, Nelson is expected to spell out details of a "broader-based" election-reform package that he plans to introduce.
One aim of the legislative package, in part, is to address the continuing fights over which states get to hold presidential primaries the earliest.
Nelson proposes to resolve that by the creation of six, rotating "interregional primaries." According to Nelson, this "will give large and small states a fair say in the nominating process."
He also will propose including early voting and absentee balloting in every state.
By far, the most controversial among the list of reforms could be Nelson's call for a resolution for a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College and allow direct election of a president by popular vote.
"If the principle of one-person, one-vote is to mean anything, the candidate who wins a majority of the votes should win the presidency," Nelson said in his prepared speech. "This country cannot afford to wait that long, before we fix the flaws we still see in our election system."
Reporter Billy House can be reached at 1 (202) 662-7673 or bhouse@tampatrib.com.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details
Reader Comments
Posted by ( davidkc ) on March 27, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Yet another Clinton supporter whining about the nominating process only because Hillary is losing. I'm sure Sen. Nelson would not be saying anything if Hillary were winning. The electoral system may need some improvement, but now is not the time to focus on that. After the elections would make much more sense. Also, Nelson needs to remember that he'll be addressing the people who are responsible for Florida's problems in this year's primary.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( qwerty456 ) on March 27, 2008 at 12:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
We need the Electoral College. If not, we will have New Yorker's and loonies from California deciding who will be President. People in small states will have no voice.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Murfette ) on March 27, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I support the popular vote!!!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( ron ) on March 27, 2008 at 2 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The battle over whether Florida's Democratic delegates should be seated at the party's national convention this summer is yet more proof that America's electoral system is "broken," U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said.
Response>
As a democrat, I am amazed how stupid my party leaders have become.
What is happening with the delegates have NOTHING to do with the Electoral College. If Senator Idiot wants to make a difference, lets put something in place that will seat the delegates. This is only an issue because of the party leaders, not the structure of the voting process. Florida had a primary, and the PARTY chose not to seat the delegates. This is not an election process problem, it is a PARTY created problem.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( ron ) on March 27, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
"In December, I lost that court fight," Nelson said in the early version of his speech. "But I have continued to push for my party to find a way to seat a delegation from Florida, while giving Floridians a meaningful voice in the selection of their party's nominee."
Response>
Did I miss something? What court case was that? I do not recall any court case in which he was involved in.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( soldier62 ) on March 27, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Popular vote? Never Happen!
The electoral college was established to prevent the large, liberal states from steamrolling the smaller states, consisting of citizens with a tradition of rugged individualism.
Even if it were to pass in the house with the required 2/3 majority, it would never clear the senate, as only 34 senators from 17 small states would be required to block it.
Report Inappropriate Comments