3. Does it really matter which system we use?
It matters, because in the 2016 Electoral College winner-take-all election...
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Utah almost mattered... and then it didn't. Just like it hasn't for the past 50 years. Almost a battleground state in 2016, Utah returned to where it belonged - the presidential election dead zone, the place where politically “safe” states, small and large - like Wyoming, Texas, New York, Alabama, Vermont, Idaho and California go to be ignored during presidential elections.
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In 2016, over 550,000 votes in Utah (Independents and Democrats) were thrown away after the state's winner-take-all electoral system kicked in during the 2016 presidential election.
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In 2016, over 60 million votes nationwide (Democrat in safely Republican states like Utah, and Republican in safely Democrat states like California and Independent everywhere) were tossed out the window when the electoral votes of that state went to the winner of the state-wide popular vote.
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In 2016, over 2.8 million votes nationwide (equivalent to the population of Utah) were legally disenfranchised by winner-take-all laws in 48 states, making one of the biggest popular vote losers in history the president of the United States.
It matters, because in a National Popular Vote election...
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Every vote in every state is equally powerful. All Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Greens can pool their votes with all the other votes of their party affiliation across the nation, to create voting blocks larger than ever before.
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Just over 1 million Utahns voted in 2016: 500K+ Republicans, 300K+ Democrats, and 240K+ Independents. That's enough votes worth showing up for and to get those votes, candidates will have to come HERE, to listen to our local issues, learn about our concerns and to consider us in national policies.
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The 1/6 of the nation living in the cities that votes around 60% Democrat, will be balanced out by the 1/6 of the nation that lives in rural areas and vote around 60% Republican. Add them to the 2/3 of the nation living in the suburbs that is split almost evenly between the two major parties, and you have one whole and complete nation casting votes that matter in presidential elections.