Sen. Warren calls for end of electoral vote system

Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for eliminating the Electoral College in a Monday town hall meeting in Mississippi. The Democratic presidential contender from Massachusetts told the crowd at Jackson State University that presidential candidates “don’t come to places like Mississippi” during the general election while pointing out Mississippi is not a “battleground state.”

“My view is that every vote matters. And the way we can make that happen is we can have national voting, and that means get rid of the Electoral College,” she said, to large applause.

Discussions over whether to change the Electoral College process sprout up every presidential election cycle. The Electoral College is the method by which electors from each state select the winner of a presidential election. Opponents of the Electoral College process often call for electing presidents by popular vote instead.

In February, Colorado became the 13th state to sign a compact in which the states would cast all of its electoral votes for the winner of the national popular presidential vote. In 2016, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote over President Donald Trump by nearly 3 million votes.

Warren visited two Mississippi cities to promote a plan to improve affordable housing. “I’m tired of a Washington that works for the rich and the powerful,” Warren said.