The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
Frankly, I did not pay much attention to this effort unitl I heard VA just signed into this compact yesterday. I think this will make presidential candidates have to appeal to the whole population, not just a slim margin of voters in a few states.
Maryland approved the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) on April 10, 2007, becoming the first U.S. state to do so. Governor Martin O’Malley signed the legislation (Senate Bill 634/House Bill 148) into law, which pledges the state’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the nationwide popular vote.
The following are from email I received today from https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/.
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact has now been enacted by 19 jurisdictions possessing 222 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate it. They are shown in green on the map below.
Six additional states with 65 electoral votes (Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) are especially promising places for obtaining the 48 electoral votes needed before 2028. They are yellow on the map.
SHORTCOMINGS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM
- Five of our 47 Presidents came into office without winning the most popular votes nationwide.
- Every vote is not equal under the current system.
- The current winner-take-all system regularly enables a few thousand votes in seven or so closely divided states to decide the Presidency—leaving 43 states and 80% of Americans on the sidelines.