**Majority of Americans Favor Electing Presidents by Popular Vote**

A majority of Americans, 58%, support amending the Constitution to elect presidents based on the popular vote, diverging from the current Electoral College system which only 39% wish to maintain, according to a recent Gallup poll conducted from September 3-15. This sentiment has remained relatively consistent since Gallup began posing this question in 2000, with notable exceptions occurring post-2016 election, when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Donald Trump secured the presidency via Electoral College.

Historically, the highest recorded support for the abolition of the Electoral College came in November 1968, with 80% approval. Subsequent polls throughout the late '60s, '70s, and '80s consistently showed strong support, averaging around 70% for Republicans and 66% for Democrats favoring the shift to a popular vote system.

Support varies significantly along party lines, with 82% of Democrats currently in favor, a figure that has risen post-2016. Meanwhile, Republican support for a popular vote system has increased from a low of 17% after the 2016 election to 32% now, although the majority, 66%, still prefer the Electoral College. Independent voters show similar levels of support to those recorded in 2000.

The partisan divide largely aligns with how each system historically benefits the parties: Democrats have won the popular vote in the majority of elections since 1992, while Republicans secured the presidency in 2000 and 2016 through the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote. This reflects a general alignment of party preferences with whichever format advantages their electoral prospects.

Changing the Constitution to eliminate the Electoral College is a challenging endeavour, requiring a supermajority in Congress or a convention called by two-thirds of the states, and subsequent ratification by three-quarters of the states. Due to these hurdles, some states have entered into a compact to award their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner once the compact totals 270 electoral votes. Currently, 17 states and the District of Columbia, totalling 209 electoral votes, have joined. Legal challenges are anticipated if the compact takes effect.