Pros and Cons of Leaving the Electoral College?

[AGA]

I would favor a popular vote over the electoral college, but there are both benefits and drawbacks to the system.

A pro of leaving the electoral college would be that every vote would count equally due to the absence of "safe" states. Parts of the country, such as the New York and Dallas metro areas, would get more attention since every vote would be tallied towards the same total, and campaigns would reach more voters overall. Also, the leaving the electoral college would prevent scenarios where candidates can win the presidency without the approval of a plurality of voters. Eliminating the electoral college also ensures that every vote has the same electoral power since voters in small states have increased electoral power due to the senatorial boost under the electoral college. However, some people consider this as a benefit of the system rather than a con. A final benefit of leaving the system is that it would eliminate faithless electors, which can legally cast ballots that do not correspond to the winner of their respective state in 24 states. There was a faithless elector as recent as 2004 from Minnesota.

The cons of leaving the electoral college include the fact that the checks and balance system that grants more power to small states in presidential elections. Also, it would be more difficult for candidates to campaign as there would no longer be a handful of competitive states. The electoral college makes sure that candidates can appeal to voters across the country and not just rack up high margins in one region.