Why votes from Wyoming carry more weight than yours

You, the people, do not elect the president of the United States. At least not directly.

The president is elected by the Electoral College, which has 538 members.

These are normal people, like you and me. States with smaller populations have fewer of them; big states have more. But because of the rules – one vote per senator and one for each member of Congress – states with few people end up having more bang per vote.

In 1970, we nearly became a one-person, one-vote country. But senators from smaller Southern states filibustered that proposal, saying it would reduce their influence.

That’s why a Wyomingite’s vote today carries more weight than yours.

But don’t feel too badly. James Madison did right by you compared to what happened in the European Union. There, a vote from Malta can be worth 1,929 percent more than a vote in Germany.