01
THE FILM
A first-of-its-kind film about the Electoral College
One Person, One Vote? (OPOV?) is a feature documentary that takes an unprecedented look at the Electoral College through the eyes of four presidential electors – a Republican, a Democrat, a Green, and a Kanye West elector – whose motivations range from noble to the absurd.
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The film takes place during arguably the most wildly historic elections of our times – when the Electoral College took center stage like never before as political operatives used mechanisms in the Electoral College process to attempt to change the outcome. The film is bookended with never-before-seen footage at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, when violence broke out in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the Electoral College votes.
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The vast majority of Americans do not understand how the Electoral College works or know why we have it in the first place. OPOV? intercuts present-day events with flashbacks of its history – the overlooked role of slavery when it was established and, ultimately, how it dramatically shaped election outcomes and history over time.
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By the time the credits roll, OPOV? offers viewers a complex and nonpartisan understanding of this historic institution created in a bygone time while highlighting the connective tissue that links then and now, so urgent and timely questions we’re grappling with today are not separate and apart from our past but directly informed by it in the present.
02
THE FACTS
The Process. The People.
Our Democracy.
Few have ever met a presidential elector or know how the process works. Yet during every presidential election, just 538 electors cast their vote to elect a president to determine the actual winner; an election process through which a runner-up candidate can ascend to the presidency.​
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The Electoral College debate has been of great contention since the framing and plagues America to this day. It isn’t a partisan issue, as most perceive, having received support from both sides of the aisle. In our 200-plus-year history, members of Congress have introduced more than 700 proposals to reform or abolish the Electoral College from lawmakers originating from all political parties. No other issue has come close.
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THE MISSION
Director's Statement
As a Filipnx-American immigrant growing up in the United States, America's history felt foreign to me. As I grew older and more civically engaged, I became very curious about the Electoral College. The more I dug into its story, the more shocked I became.
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There is a tremendous information gap around the Electoral College – the institution that elects the leader of the free world. My sincere goal is to share its story so Americans can have an informed dialogue and thoughtful debate around the Electoral College.
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It's been a profoundly life-changing experience to explore the people that comprise our presidential electoral process and to go deep into the forgotten history of America. One of our Founding Fathers, James Wilson, was an early and fervent believer in everyday people having a direct say in who becomes president. He, too, was an immigrant, born and educated in Scotland with an accent, and ultimately became one of the signers of the Constitution. The story of America is inseparable from the story of immigrants. I now realize America's history belongs to all of us – including me.
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One Person, One Vote? is my open invitation to a broad and diverse range of Americans – both young and old, no matter which side of the aisle you sit – to see a piece of themselves in each of the featured presidential electors. To feel less cut off from the Framers and history who shaped the country we call home. To hear their words. To understand their intentions. And in so doing, become owners of their legacy, be civically engaged, and strive for a more perfect union.
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Sincerely,
Maximina Juson