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Since the election of President-elect Donald Trump there has been a hue and cry from people obviously deficient in their knowledge of U.S. history. The Electoral College they wail, should be eliminated in favor the direct vote of the people.

At the Constitutional Convention in 1878, during which our current form of government was established, one of the biggest issue was how to ensure that the less populous states (like Idaho) would have a voice in government. The founders devised two brilliant provisions for our Constitution: 1) each state would have two senators regardless of population, and 2) the president would be chosen by electors from each state based on that state’s number of representatives and senators. Without these provisions, it is doubtful whether our Constitution would have been ratified.

A look at the red/blue map of the U.S. after the last election surely proves the wisdom of our founders. Based on the popular vote, the president would have been elected by three or four of our most populous states.

To make the case against the popular vote idea even stronger, consider the following: there are 3,141 counties in the United States. Trump won 3,084 and Clinton won 57. There are 62 counties in New York state and Trump 46 of them. There are five counties in New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Richmond and Queens). Clinton won 4 of the 5 counties in New York City, receiving over 2 million more votes than Trump.

In other words, Clinton, it seems, got the majority of her popular votes over Trump from in New York City. I do not believe this would represent the will of the American people.

MIKE MORGENSTERN

Sandpoint