Because we were created as a federation of states not so much a union of people . It ' s part of the foundation of the country . I mean technically , it ' s the states that vote . You gotta remember that back then people mostly saw themselves as citizens of that state first and foremost , before a strong American national identity formed . Edit The foundation of the country is relevant because you need 23 of states to agree to a change to the constitution . Too many people think I am arguing the pros and cons of the system I ' m not here to do that , only explain why it exists and also why it likely won ' t change . <| sep |> It looks to be either a prayer quote or a part of the Quran <| sep |> Im looking at the mashed potatoes , and I cant help but wonder , did some machine just squeeze it out ?