The Steamboat Institute will host a Western Slope Debate Tour on the national popular vote vs. the Electoral College from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 10 in room 130 of the Chemistry Hall at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive.

The event is part of The Steamboat Institute’s broader Campus Liberty Tour. The debate will feature Trent England, executive vice president at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, and Ted Trimpa, founder and principal at the Trimpa Group.

The debate will be moderated by Paul DeBell, assistant professor of political science at FLC. The topic will be: “How Should We Elect Our President? A Debate on National Popular Vote vs. Electoral College.”

The Western Slope debates are in response to increasing calls to move away from the Electoral College toward a popular vote system. Earlier this year, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill to enter Colorado into the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would require member states to transfer their share of Electoral College votes in future presidential elections to the candidate who wins the national popular vote.

“The voting system that Americans use to elect our president has perhaps never been more topical than it is today,” said Jennifer Schubert-Akin, chairman and CEO of the Steamboat Institute. “Both the Electoral College and a national popular vote offer democratic advantages and drawbacks. Two leading voices coming together to debate this issue will allow people to make up their own minds about which voting system is best.”

Registration is not required. Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive early to guarantee a seat.

For more information, visit www.steamboatinstitute.org/events.

An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect location of the debate. The incorrect information originated on the organizer’s website. Also, a photo caption had the wrong date.