The Constitution Party seeks a restoration of this electoral process for the choosing of the President and the Vice President of the United States. 

The Principle

Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution states, in part: 

“Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector.” 

This established the Electoral College. 

The Problem

The Constitution does not provide for the election of the President and Vice President of the United States by popular vote, but rather by the selection of “Electors” according to rules adopted by each state’s legislators. 

These electors would receive the list of certified candidates. They would then cast their vote for whomever they ascertained as best qualified to fill these two highest offices of trust with the federal government. 

The Constitution does not require the states to adhere to any specific manner in electing these electors or how they cast their votes.

Its wording does suggest that prominent individuals from each congressional district, and the state at large, would be elected or appointed as electors who represent that district. 

• A voter would vote for three individuals, one to represent his district and two “at large” representatives to represent his state. 
• These electors, in turn, would then carefully and deliberately select the candidate for president. 
• Under this system, each congressional district could, in essence, select a different candidate. 
• The candidate with the most electors nationwide would become the next president. 
• This was the method used until the 1830s, at which time all the states, except for South Carolina, changed to a “general ticket.”

The Solution

Under the Electoral College, no single faction or region of the country can elect a president, ensuring broad representation across the United States. 

REMOVE THE “GENERAL TICKET” SYSTEM

The “general ticket” system is still in use today. Inherently, it causes corruption because of the inequitable transfer of power from congressional districts to the states and large cities at the expense of rural communities. 

DEFEAT THE NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE PROPOSAL

The National Popular Vote system is a dangerous threat to our Constitutional Republic, allowing as few as eighteen to twenty-one states to circumvent the constitutional requirement of thirty-eight states to amend the Constitution. 

The National Popular Vote process would effectively eliminate the last vestiges of the Electoral College, as originally set forth in the United States Constitution. 

The National Popular Vote creates a fake majority by forcing electors to vote against the votes cast by their constituents. 

Eliminating the Electoral College would instantly make the votes of Americans in approximately twenty-five states irrelevant. 

Candidates would only be interested in campaigning in large population states, making small states meaningless zeros. 

There is no threshold of what constitutes a “majority” under National Popular Vote. Therefore, a presidential candidate could be elected with as little as 15% of the popular vote. 

Under the National Popular Vote scheme, chaos would ensue in any close election. 

The Constitution Party Committment

The Constitution Party encourages states to eliminate the “general ticket” system and return to the procedure intended by the Framers. 

The national Constitution Party opposes the National Popular Vote and will work to defeat it in individual state legislatures.

ELECTIONS →

NATIONAL PLATFORM →

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The Constitution Party seeks the restoration of an electoral process that is controlled at the state and local level and is beyond manipulation by federal judges and bureaucrats. 

The Principle

US Constitution, Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1: 

“The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing* Senators.”  

The Problem

The Constitutional balance of power on this matter has been destroyed by the 17th Amendment. The States no longer have a representative at the Federal level. ** 

The federal government has unconstitutionally and unwisely preempted control in matters of district boundaries, electoral procedures, and campaign activities.  

The Solution

Each citizen should have the right to seek public office in accordance with the qualifications set forth in federal and state constitutions. Additional restrictions and obligations governing candidate eligibility and campaign procedures burden unconstitutionally the fairness and accountability of our political system.  

• The Voting Rights Act should be repealed.  

• The Federal Election Campaign Act, including its 1974 amendments, and the Federal Election Commission should be abolished. 

The Constitution Party Committment

FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

To encourage free and fair elections, all candidates must be treated equally. 

• We call for an end to designated “Major Party” status that gives an unfair advantage to some candidates by providing ballot access and taxpayer dollars, while requiring others for the same office to gather petition signatures or meet other more stringent criteria. 

• We call for a repeal of all federal campaign finance laws (i.e. McCain-Feingold) due to their violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. At a minimum, elections should be audited at random at the precinct level in a completely transparent manner after the polls close.  

SAFEGUARD OUR ELECTORAL PROCESS FROM COMPUTER FRAUD AND MAIL-IN BALLOT FRAUD

We support eliminating all use of electronic voting machines and electronic tabulation machines/computers.

• Mail in ballots shall be limited to absentee ballots with rigorous signature verification. 
• All voters shall be registered at least thirty days beforehand, by photo ID and proof of citizenship.
• Actual voting shall be in person voting on a single election day at approved polling places. 

TRUE FREEDOM REQUIRES BEING INCONVIENIENCED AND PUTTING FORTH EXTRA EFFORT FROM TIME-TO-TIME

• We oppose any movement to codify or use Vote-By-Mail and other such schemes which undermine the liberty-preserving privilege of voting in secret, in person, at precinct-based polling places. 
• A Social Security Number should not be used as a personal identifier in any part of our election process or voter validation. 

   * original spelling from Constitution

 ** See “Congressional Reform” plank.

ELECTIONS →

NATIONAL PLATFORM →

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