Guest columnist
A vote to outsource the Electoral College

By Anthony Medina
Special to The Times

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It is time for Americans to graduate from the Electoral College. It is time for Americans to cast a direct vote for president. In the 21st century, Americans are better-educated and better-informed about local and national affairs than at any time in American history. The so-called need for the Electoral College is gone. ("The Electoral College is likely with us to stay, despite critics," Times, News, Oct. 22.)

Why is it that the people of Afghanistan can vote directly for the Afghanistan president, unlike Americans, who cannot vote directly for the American president?

Why is it that Iraqis can vote for their president, but Americans cannot vote for the American president?

The Electoral College means that an American's vote for president does not truly count toward the election of the American president.

How important can the Electoral College be when America does not export the Electoral College to other new democracies? If the Electoral College is so important in America, then shouldn't Afghanistan have an Electoral College? Shouldn't Iraq have an Electoral College? The answer is that they don't because it's not relevant.

Let the democracy that George Bush is exporting to other countries be imported to America so that Americans can vote for the president directly.

The time for the Electoral College has passed. Real Americans do not need the proxy vote of an Electoral College. Real Americans can vote, and should vote, like all other countries in the democratic and free world, directly for the American president.

The 21st century should see the end of the Electoral College so that an American's vote truly does count for a democratically elected president.

Anthony Medina's vote is cast on Bainbridge Island.