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---
title: Electoral College: Here&#x27;s How to Move to a Popular Vote
description: For the fifth time in history, the U.S. elected a president who did not win the popular vote.
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article:published_time: 2016-12-10T04:15:55.000Z
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article:section: Politics
og:title: Why It&#x27;s Hard to End the Electoral College
og:description: It&#x27;s not as simple as it sounds.
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og:image:alt: President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the DeltaPlex Arena, December 9, 2016 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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# Why It's Hard to End the Electoral College

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| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency |
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_Published 2026-06-23. For the fifth time in history, the U.S. elected a president who did not win the popular vote._


by 

[Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/)


## Ryan Teague Beckwith


Dec 10, 2016 4:15 AM UTC

by 

[Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/)


## Ryan Teague Beckwith


Dec 10, 2016 4:15 AM UTC

For the fifth time in history, the U.S. elected a president who did not win the popular vote.

That’s led to calls to dismantle the Electoral College, the constitutional system that apportions votes to presidential candidates based on their wins in each state.

But opponents have an uphill climb.

Here’s a look at how to end the Electoral College—and why it’s not as simple as it sounds.

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