Posted on 04/02/2007 3:39:21 PM PDT by SmithL
Annapolis, Md. (AP) -- Maryland is poised to become the first state to approve giving its electoral votes for president to the winner of the national popular vote, rather than to the candidate chosen by state voters.
The plan, passed Monday by the state House, would take effect only if states representing a majority of the nation's 538 electoral votes adopted the same change.
Some states are considering the move as a way to avoid a scenario in which a candidate wins the national popular vote but loses in the Electoral College, as Democrat Al Gore lost to George W. Bush in 2000.
Supporters of the Maryland bill said the state, which has 10 electoral votes, gets passed over by presidential candidates who head to larger battleground states. Opponents say the change is unnecessary and constitutionally questionable.
The final vote in the Democrat-controlled House of Delegates was 85-54, with only one Republican endorsing it. The Senate has already passed the bill, and Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, plans to sign it, said spokesman Rick Abbruzzese.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
this will change in a hurry the next time a republican wins the national vote but loses in the electoral college..
Won’t they be in a full-bore tizzy, when a Republican wins the popular vote, and Maryland goes Republican due to their utter lack of logic?
If a popular vote is required to become president, Bill Clinton would never have become president because he never won the popular vote.
More importantly, the popular vote is heavily in the urban areas of the country, and does not protect against the city dwellers telling the rest of the country who should be president. That’s why the constitution calls for an electoral college.
Does this bill conform to Maryland’s state consitution?
I’ll bet these people all wine that voter participation is low, too. It will be lower if this plan takes effect. If this plan takes effect, your vote is 1 in a few hundred million people. The old way, it is one in how ever many people vote in maryland.
The plan, passed Monday by the state House, would take effect only if states representing a majority of the nation’s 538 electoral votes adopted the same change.
Fat chance that will happen soon.
Is there any chance that this stupidity could survive a court challenge?? sheese...
I was thinking the same, that means that Bush would have won Maryland EC Vote in 2004.
I can’t wait to get the heck out of this state.
Whe this goes into effect the legislature has to tell the people they are not voting to decide Maryland’s electors, they are simply contributing to the popular vote. Maryland’s electors will be chosen by places like California, Florida, Texas and New York.
Pressure's off. It no longer matters who you vote for.
So who cares about the Constitution? This bill doesn’t conform to the US Constitution. But MD party hacks (Dems) have a lock on the state, and they will do anything that they perceive will keep them in power. Voters in MD are just a nuisance to them.
This is a state where you don’t have to be a citizen to vote, and where you soon will have the opportunity to vote in early voting precincts (as well as in your own). Never mind that one of the largest voting blocs is in Baltimore graveyards.
Anyone wanna buy a house in MD?
Can’t wait until we have a close election and have to recount 120 million votes.....just how are you going to do that and not have massive cheating on both sides????
Seems clearly unconstitutional, as it disenfranchises the voters of the state.
Plus it’s an invitation to large-scale voting fraud.
Under this change in law, the effect of the fraud would no longer be limited to the electoral votes of the state in which the fraud occurred, but would have national effect.
I was at a gun show this past weekend and someone next to me admiring a particular gun told me that he was from Maryland. Without thinking, I said to him, “I’m sorry to hear that.” He burst out laughing, adding “Yeah, I know. It is a burden.”
Bingo!! MD just told the presidential wannabes they don't have to spend/waste any time or money...their state does not matter.
Congratulations maryland, you have officially thrown away any votes you may have had. Now candidates won’t even bother going after your vote as it don’t matter.
The only way Bush lost the popular vote in 2000 is he knew New York and California were lost, so he didn’t spend money there. If the game were who gets the most votes, all the money would be spent in the populized states.
And this law would never go into effect. Huge disclaimer here.
But shouldn’t a state get to pick how they allocate their votes?
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