Delaware and Colorado governors sign National Popular Vote

March 28, 2019 (nationalpopularvote.com)

Delaware Governor John Carney signed the National Popular Vote bill into law today, following the signing of the bill recently by Colorado Governor Jared Polis.  The bill is currently on the desk of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Under the current system of electing the President, an individual voter in Delaware has a direct vote in selecting only 3 presidential electors (out of 270 needed to elect a President).  

In contrast, under the National Popular Vote bill, an individual voter in Delaware (and every other state) would acquire a direct and unfiltered vote toward the election of 270 presidential electors. Every voter, in every state, would have their vote counted directly toward their choice for president.  The presidential candidate getting the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia would become President, because that candidate would have the support of at least 270 presidential electors in the Electoral College. 

Please use our convenient system to send an email to your state legislators asking them to support the National Popular Vote bill in your state (or reinforcing their support for the bill in your state).  Watch CNN interview with New Mexico Senator Mimi StewartWatch C-SPAN interview with Chair of National Popular VoteWrite a letter to the editorFollow us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterLearn more at National Popular Vote web site which has 14 explanatory videos and answers to 131 myths about the billIf the bill is signed in New Mexico, the National Popular Vote bill will have been enacted into law by a total of 15 states possessing 189 electoral votes — 81 electoral votes short of the number (270) that the bill needs to take effect. 

Meanwhile, the National Popular Vote bill is also making progress in other states. The Nevada House and Maine Senate are about to vote on the bill.  A committee hearing is expected in Oregon in the next week or so.  There will be a hearing in New Hampshire in the fall.  The bill has been introduced in 20 states so far during 2019.    

The non-profit National Popular Vote organization employs traveling and local representatives on a year-round basis to conduct one-on-one meetings with state legislators and grassroots groups that influence state legislators.  You can support our ongoing efforts in numerous states by donating to National Popular Vote.   

BACKGROUND The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  It would make every vote for President equal throughout the United States.  It would guarantee that every voter in every state matters in every presidential election. 

The shortcomings of the current system of electing the President stem from “winner-take-all” laws that have been enacted at the state level. These laws award 100% of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate receiving the most popular votes in each state. 

Because of these state winner-take-all laws, five of our 45 Presidents (including two of the last three) have come into office without having won the most popular votes nationwide.  

Another problem occurs in every presidential election, namely that presidential candidates have no reason to campaign in, or pay attention to, voters in states where they are safely ahead or hopelessly behind.  

In 2012, 100% of the general-election campaign events (and virtually all campaign expenditures) were concentrated in the 12 closely divided “battleground” states where Romney’s support was 45%-51%.   The map shows the distribution of general-election campaign events. Thirty-eight states were totally ignored, including almost all small states, medium-sized states, rural states, western states, southern states, and northeastern states. Two-thirds of the events (176 of 253) were concentrated in just 4 states (OH, FL, VA, IA). Similarly, in 2016, almost all (94%) general-election campaign events were in the 12 “battleground” states where Trump’s support was in the narrow range of 43%-51%.  Two-thirds of the campaign events (273 of 399) were in just 6 states (OH, FL, VA, NC, PA, MI).  

It does not take an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to change existing state winner-take-all laws.  State winner-take-all laws were enacted by state legislatures under their authority under Article II of the U.S. Constitution: “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors….”

These state laws may be changed in the same way as they were originally enacted — namely by action of the state legislature.

The winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes was not the Founding Fathers’ choice.  It was used by only three states in the nation’s first presidential election in 1789 (and repealed by all three by 1800).  Winner-take-all was never debated at the Constitutional Convention or mentioned in the Federalist Papers

Under the National Popular Vote bill, the national popular vote winner will receive all the electoral votes from the enacting states. The bill will take effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes — enough to elect a President (270 of 538).  When the Electoral College meets in mid-December, the national popular vote winner will become President because the enacting states will provide him or her with at least 270 electoral votes.  

A national popular vote for President is an achievable political goal.  In addition to the 15 states mentioned above, it has passed one house in 8 additional states with 72 electoral votes (AR, AZ, ME, MI, NC, NV, OK, OR), including a 40-16 vote in the Republican-controlled Arizona House and a 28-18 in Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate, and been approved unanimously by committee votes in two additional Republican-controlled states with 26 electoral votes (GA, MO).  A total of 3,265 state legislators among all 50 states have endorsed it.

For additional information, see our book Every Vote Equal: A State-Based Plan for Electing the President by National Popular Vote (downloadable for free at www.NationalPopularVote.com).  Chapter 9 provides short and long answers to 131 myths about the National Popular Vote bill.  The book may be purchased from Amazon for $4.95.  

The non-profit National Popular Vote organization employs traveling and local representatives on a year-round basis to conduct one-on-one meetings with state legislators and grassroots groups that influence state legislators.  You can support our ongoing efforts in numerous states by donating to National Popular Vote
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