By James Williams

There’s a growing call to abolish the Electoral College and replace it with a national popular vote. At first glance, it sounds like democracy perfected — one person, one vote. But for Black voters, especially those in key swing states, that change could erase the political leverage that has made our communities decisive in presidential elections.


The Power of Concentration

Black voters are concentrated in a handful of major cities inside the states that decide the presidency — Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, and Milwaukee. When turnout in those cities rises, entire states flip blue.

In 2020, Black voter turnout in those cities delivered Joe Biden the White House. A few hundred thousand votes determined which way millions of electoral votes would go. That’s not coincidence — that’s strategy and power working together.


Why the Electoral College Still Matters

The Electoral College forces candidates to campaign in battleground states, giving urban Black voters an outsize influence on national outcomes. When a presidential hopeful stops by a Black church in Philly or hosts a town hall at an HBCU in Atlanta, it’s because those votes can win or lose the presidency.

A national popular vote would end that dynamic. Campaigns would chase massive vote totals in California, Texas, Florida, and New York, where the population is larger but the Black share is smaller. That means less investment in places like Philadelphia or Detroit — and fewer reasons to keep promises to the communities that have delivered victory after victory.


Inside the Democratic Party

Within the Democratic Party, the shift could be just as significant. Black voters currently anchor early primaries and swing-state contests, shaping which candidates rise. Without the Electoral College, power would move toward big coastal states where Black voices are less concentrated — reducing the community’s ability to influence nominations and policy priorities.

Democrats might still win elections, but Black Democrats could lose leverage — the power to make candidates listen, negotiate, and deliver.


Fairness vs. Influence

Supporters of the popular vote frame it as fairness. But political fairness isn’t just about equal ballots; it’s about who gets heard. The Electoral College gives weight to concentrated communities that vote with unity and purpose — and no group in modern American politics does that more effectively than Black Americans.

Take away that structure, and you take away a megaphone that has amplified the Black voice in national politics for generations.


The Bottom Line

The Electoral College isn’t perfect. But it ensures that Black turnout in cities like Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, and Milwaukee can still move the center of American politics. Without it, our votes will still count — but they won’t decide.

In politics, numbers matter — but leverage wins.