[EL] Check out Could Pennsylvania Republicans end the electoral college as we know

[Vladimir Kogan]

For some great historical context on this, I highly recommend Edward Larson's book A Magnificent Catastrophe about the election of 1800. He goes into some detail into the partisan battles over district vs. statewide allocation of electoral votes.

Pennsylvania's history is particularly interesting. In 1796, when it looked like John Adams was going to carry the state, the Federalists used their majority in the state legislature to allocate the electors on a statewide basis, while the Republicans vehemently demanded district-based allocation. In 1800, however, it was clear Jefferson was going carry the state, so the roles reversed. Republicans demanded statewide allocation of electors, while the Federalists wanted the electors chosen by district. There was a very bitter campaign for the control of the state legislature and the governor's office, because both parties knew the winner would get to determine the method of allocation.

Vlad
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