Election proposal is unconstitutional

Re "Electoral college effort lags," Dec. 1

The Republican Party's effort to amend the California Constitution by initiative to require that electoral votes in presidential elections be based on gerrymandered congressional district lines is blatantly unconstitutional. Article II, Section 1, Part 2 of the U.S. Constitution states: "Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress." This constitutional language clearly means that only the Legislature can decide how to allocate presidential electors.

The Republican Party has repeatedly claimed that it always follows the original intent of the founding fathers. It is obvious that the backers of the electoral college initiative never bothered to read Article II before drafting this ill-considered, partisan initiative.

Robert W.

Holdenvenzon

San Diego