Alexander Hamilton's version of the 12th Amendment would have provided that presidential electors be
elected by electoral district drawn by Congress (e.g. a state with one representative would have three electoral districts) and that the mode of election be specified by Congress, and that the electors designate presidential and vice presidential votes.
Hamilton's proposed 12th AmendmentHad this been adopted, there wouldn't be any questions about national popular vote, since nobody would be adding up the votes, anymore than they total the national popular vote for Congress.
A modern version would provide that:
Electors be apportioned among the United States and their territories based on the Citizen Population over age 18. An elector would represent between 20,000 and 50,000 persons.
Electors be chosen by the voters eligible to vote for the larger house of a legislature, with time, manner, place regulations set by the legislature, subject to a congressional override (e.g. same rules as apply to the election of Congress).
Electors would meet as a single national body, perhaps electronically linked; and would determine a president and vice president by majority vote. If no candidate received a majority on the initial vote, voting would continue by rounds among the (up to Top 10), with one eliminated on each round.
