# What's the point of the Electoral College

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-the-electoral-college/17860>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 27, 2000, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-the-electoral-college/17860 "2000-03-27T07:34:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-the-electoral-college/17860/41 "2000-04-01T19:24:00Z")

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To all,

So, is there any consensus on this?

1. The elecoral college was formed to stop “mob rule”.

or

1. The EC was formed to maintain state political clout in case people didn’t vote.

Or some of both. Or neither.

I notice now, that southern states had a reason for wanting to count people who, for some reason, might not vote.

* * *

## Just putting my 2sense in.

_Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered._  
-Thomas Paine (fugitive slave catcher)

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**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-the-electoral-college/17860/42 "2000-04-02T06:08:00Z")

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im going to get into the electorial seat and vote for the chinese president

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