Alaska has one of the smallest populations in the US. With only 735,000 Alaska is the third least populated state. However, the votes being casted today may weigh heavier than imagined. KDLG’sThea Card has more.
It may seem backwards but a research group is reporting that the voters in states with the smaller populations actually have the most power. Spokesperson for WalletHub, the research group that conducted the study, Jill Gonzales says the process was mathematical.
“We looked at the adult population of each state versus the number of electors, so the people who are actually going out and voting and of course the senators and the amount of house representatives.”
Gonzales says the bigger the population of voters, the weaker the individuals’ votes count. For example Wyoming, which has the smallest population in the nation, provides voters with 65 times more power than those in California.
Gonzales says small population states are better represented in the Senate.
“Alaska only gets one representative for its eligible voting population of a little more than 550,000 people. That and Wyoming are among the only states to have had one representative since 1960 which is also something that we took a look at.”
The states with the least powerful voters include Texas, California, New York and, coming in last, Florida.