If it weren't for the Electoral College and New Mexico's swing-state status, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain might not have bothered to come to UNM this election season.
"Despite being a pretty small state population-wise, we're obviously gathering a ton of national attention," said Gabriel Sanchez, assistant political science professor at UNM.
"That's only because of the Electoral College."
The Electoral College has a total of 535 votes, a number derived from adding the 435 representatives and 100 senators in Congress.
Because New Mexico has three representatives and two senators, the state has five electoral votes up for grabs.
Neighbors Arizona and Texas have 10 and 34 electoral votes, respectively.
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In order to win the presidency, a candidate must get a majority of electoral votes.
The Electoral College was generated, Sanchez said, from conflict between states with big and small populations in America's early days.
"(The Founding Fathers) wanted to make sure that there was a balance of power between the small states and the big states," Sanchez said.
The Electoral College has come under fire in recent years, partly as a result of the 2000 presidential race, when Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the election.
"I don't think that that particular scenario will happen (this year), but if it's a very close race, it brings up the question, 'Why do we even have the electoral college?'" Sanchez said.
Donald Gluck, president of the College Republicans at UNM, said New Mexico benefits from the system.
"New Mexico gets five electors, which is more than we would get in a popular election," he said. "New Mexico gets to be a little more powerful compared to some of the bigger states."
Gluck said the Electoral College should stay in place, despite claims that it's outdated.
"By and large, I think people accept that the Electoral College is the way to do it," he said. "That's the way the Constitution was set up."
Aaron Whiteley, freshman and volunteer for the Tom Udall campaign, said Republicans could have an unfair advantage in the election if the Electoral College were abolished. For example, McCain might win the presidency by winning the popular vote, though he is not best suited for the office, he said.
"That's just how our system works, and I think people will accept that just as they accepted the Gore-Bush outcome in 2000," Whiteley said. "It might make up for the fact that the same thing happened to (Democrats in 2000)."
Sanchez said a major criticism of the Electoral College is that it was designed to safeguard against elections becoming a popularity contest.
"Another aspect of the Electoral College is that the Framers weren't confident that the majority of the American population (was) sophisticated enough about politics to make sound political decisions at the time," he said.
As a result, electors can ignore the voice of their constituency and cast their votes for whomever they choose, Sanchez said.
"What people say is with technology, which obviously wasn't available to the Framers, people can access political information at a much easier and quicker rate, so the public doesn't need that system of elites to protect us from our own ability to make sound political decisions," he said.
While the electors could decide the outcome of this election on their own, Sanchez said it's highly unlikely.
"It's very, very rare for a legislator to switch his vote," he said.
