Session: State Capitol, Room 102 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Toll Free: (877) 465-3719 Phone: (907) 465-3719 Fax: (907) 465-3258 Personal Web Site: www.johncoghill.com Interim: 119 N Cushman Street, Suite 211 Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: (907) 456-5081 Fax: (907) 456-8245

Sponsor Statement for HJR 23
Maintain Electoral College System

Advocating the retention of the electoral college system in its present form.

The electoral college is based upon republican principles that discourage mob-rule. Under the electoral college system that our forefathers very carefully and skillfully designed each State is allocated an Elector for each of its two U.S. Senators, plus an elector for each of its U.S. Representatives. This allows States the same equal voice they have in the U.S. Senate for selection of the President, while weighing in on individuals of each state through the U.S. House formula. As population changes and migrates, the number of Electors will change with the Census every ten years as will the number of representatives from each state in the U.S. House.

If not for the electoral college, Alaska would have no voice in the selection of a President. Today we have three of the 538 electoral votes giving us a little more than ½ of 1% of the voice in the Presidential vote, represents one-fifth of the total land mass in the United States. That voice would diminish considerably in a popular vote and the massive vote of urban America would make our decisions for us.

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