New Mexico lawmakers seek popular-vote system for president

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | January 3, 2019 | AP

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE, N.M. — Democratic New Mexico legislators in Santa Fe haven’t given up bringing their state into a movement to elect future U.S. presidents by popular vote.

Four lawmakers have introduced a bill to place New Mexico into an inter-state compact that requires Electoral College voters to cast ballots for the national popular vote winner. States representing 270 electoral votes must join for the compact to function.

[ckilmer]

thanks. that works

[cherry]

there certainly should be a movement to not mail in your ballot until the last hour....let the rats figure out how many votes to “fix”....it’ll be tougher if they don’t know what’s out there..

[Amendment10]

"They are the electoral college and an Article V Convention of the States."

Thanks for reply.

The electoral college is soiled imo because the 12th Amendment (12A) indicates that the states never gave themselves the power to make “winner take all” laws.

"Excerpted from the 12th Amendment: "The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice- President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate [emphasis added]; …"

Patriots need to support PDJT in working with the states enforce 12A by eliminating winner take all laws for the 2020 elections.

[Vermont Lt]

Just be clear, I don’t think the idea is good. I think it’s bad.

But, to have a law that says they will assign electoral votes based on the popular vote winner is not a compact with other states. It does not say, “If California goes blue, New Mexico will go blue.” It is a difference WITH a distinction.

[Windflier]

...to have a law that says they will assign electoral votes based on the popular vote winner is not a compact with other states.

Yeah, it is.

The 'compact' is the agreement that all signatory states will award their electors based upon the popular vote. Only Congress can do that.

Such agreements (compacts) between states are forbidden by the US Constitution.

[Vermont Lt]

None of these law are dependent on another state. They are talking about the national popular vote, not the vote among these states.

Each is an independent action.

[Windflier]

None of these law are dependent on another state. They are talking about the national popular vote, not the vote among these states. Each is an independent action.

Then what's all this talk of getting enough states to join the "compact" until they reach 270 electoral votes?

Yes, states conduct their elections as they see fit, but they can't force any other state to adopt or agree to changing the way individual electors vote.

They can try, but this thing will bring an instant constitutional challenge the moment they try it. I don't see it passing muster in the Supreme Court.

The right and proper way to implement this change is through the constitutional amendment process. Simply bypassing the process, and forcing it upon other states isn't going to fly. It will bring civil war.