Posted on 03/03/2019 5:38:03 PM PST by yesthatjallen
A plan to circumvent the Electoral College is gaining momentum among blue states after Democrats suffered two crushing defeats in presidential elections over the past two decades.
The plan has been given new impetus after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said this week that he will sign a bill to have his state become the 12th state along with the District of Columbia to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
The states making up the compact, which already includes New York, Illinois and all the New England states except for New Hampshire, would commit to awarding their electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote nationally, regardless of the results in the Electoral College.
So far, these states, with Colorado, add up to 181 electoral votes, well short of the 270 needed to ascend to the White House.
Advocates are doubtful that enough states can join the compact for it to take effect by 2020, but hold hope of garnering enough support by 2024, as a handful of states like New Mexico also consider the measure, though proponents acknowledge the path to get to 270 will be far from easy.
Colorado state Rep. Emily Sirota (D), one of the sponsors of that state’s legislation, said she sees the compact “as a way to ensure that every vote is counted equally” and force candidates to campaign nationwide instead of targeting a few battleground states that can deliver success in the electoral math.
“If we had presidential candidates campaigning across the country, instead of a handful of swing states, you'd see a lot more participation from across the country and I think that is good and healthy for our electoral process,” Sirota told The Hill.
The renewed push comes after 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton lost the election that year despite winning the popular vote, the second time it has happened since the turn of the century.
The defeat was especially crushing to Democrats after a similar loss suffered by former Vice President Al Gore in 2000.
All states that are now part of the compact voted for Gore in 2000 and Clinton in 2016.
Colorado voted for Clinton last time but picked former President George W. Bush in 2000.
Critics of the Electoral College system have long argued it incentivizes candidates to target swing states with a bounty of electoral votes, while discouraging turnout by voters in states that are reliably red or blue.
Opponents of the current electoral system also say that electing a president through a popular vote could improve how presidents govern in office.
John Koza, the chairman of the National Popular Vote, a group that advocates for the compact, said the Electoral College “distorts” public policy by incentivizing presidents to cater to key swing states while in office, particularly in their first term.
"It's not only unfair that the second place candidate can win, it's also not good for the office of president or the country,” he said.
“When you're sitting in the White House … you say, ‘What states do I have to win and what do I have to do to win them?' That's just not a good way for public policy to be set,” Koza added.
Advocates of the compact are holding up hope that more steps will follow Colorado in joining the compact, which was first introduced in academic research papers as a way to effectively get rid of the electoral college system without going through the daunting process of a constitutional amendment.
The most promising is New Mexico, which has already passed a popular vote bill through one chamber and has a Democratic Governor.
Should it pass, the state would add 5 electoral votes to the compact, bringing the total to 186.
Meanwhile, legislators in 16 states have introduced bills this session seeking to join the compact, according to National Popular Vote.
Of those, Democratically-controlled Delaware, Maine, Nevada and Oregon look the most promising, with a total tally of 20 additional votes that could bring the total to 206 – though even there, the prospects are far from guaranteed.
Oregon state Rep. Diego Hernandez (D), a sponsor of the state’s popular vote bill, said there may not be enough momentum in the current legislative session to pass.
“We have so many big issues we're tackling this session, when it comes to housing and the environment and education and revenue reform, that although the conversation's happening, I'm not sure that it's the top priority in terms of the collective agenda,” Hernandez said.
But the prospect of passage in some of the other 16 states where a popular vote bill has been introduced look far less certain given many have split powers or are deep-red, like South Carolina or Mississippi.
Republicans are mostly opposed to any measure to derail the Electoral College system, seeing as unconstitutional.
Opponents of using the popular vote to elect presidents have long argued it would result in candidates catering to large cities and large states to rack up votes, which tend to have a bigger share of Democratic voters, ignoring smaller or rural areas.
Rose Pugliese, a county commissioner in Colorado, said in a tweet she had petitioned the Secretary of State not to award the state’s votes to the winner of the popular vote, saying such a move “allows California and New York to decide Colorado’s votes for President.”
Nonetheless advocates of the compact remain hopeful.
Koza, the National Popular Vote chairman, said garnering the necessary support by 2020 was “theoretically” possible, but believed it was more likely by 2024.
"You never know how a bandwagon can get rolling,” he said. “So at the moment, I couldn't name states that would get us there in time for 2020, although there's theoretically ways to do it. It seems perfectly plausible that we should get there by 2024."
Disenfranchising their own voters. This is how tyranny starts.
This will last until a Republican wins the national vote.
It’s kind of cute that you think we still have the rule of law or anything like that.
Florida should mandate that all their votes will go to the incumbent in a year when an incumbent is on the ballot. Change the law after 2020. Just as arbitrary as the popular vote. Let’s see what happens if that happened
Is not this compact illegal too?
So we have someone who leads an organization dedicated to dismantling something, and he doesn't even know what it is. The President of the United States is just that - hence, he is elected by the STATES. Eliminating it undermines the very way our nation is constituted.
‘If they get enough states to account for 270 Electoral Votes, then the Electoral College system is kaput.’
it’s highly unlikely that the 270 votes will be comprised of all blue states, at least for the near future; actually, if the 270 is reached then it would behoove all the states to join the compact, and be incentivized to turn out as many voters as it can, and attempt to win the popular vote
if the 270 votes are comprised of reliably blue states, yeah, then the EC is moot...but without the participation of TX or FL, hard to see that coming about...
I am coming to the view that the only thing that will save this country is a military counter-coup, followed by a period of DJT governing by decree.
In other words, our great president must act learn to act like an American Francisco Franco, even though he is more comfortable in the role of deal maker.
Officials of the RAT party has proven they are not open to bargaining and compromise. They are a cabal of communist traitors whose only goal is to enslave every American who is not part of the Ivy League ruling class.
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides the procedure for electing the President and Vice President. It replaced the procedure provided in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3, by which the Electoral College originally functioned. Key text of Amendment XII below...
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 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;The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;
The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed
Wiki -->
"While the Twelfth Amendment did not change the composition of the Electoral College or the duties of the electors, it did change the process whereby a President and a Vice President are elected. The new electoral process was first used for the 1804 election. Each presidential election since has been conducted under the terms of the Twelfth Amendment.If a state legislature decides to appoint its electors based on the national popular vote, how exactly does that run afoul of the Constitution? It is completely within the state's purview to decide how to appoint its electors.The Twelfth Amendment stipulates that each elector must cast distinct votes for President and Vice President, instead of two votes for President. Additionally, electors may not vote for presidential and vice-presidential candidates who both reside in the elector's state—at least one of them must be an inhabitant of another state."
‘Let’s see what happens if that happened’
since the EV’s would have been allotted prior to the actual election, those votes would be disqualified...
“Colorado state Rep. Emily Sirota (D), one of the sponsors of that state’s legislation, said she sees the compact “as a way to ensure that every vote is counted equally”
The Electoral College was designed specifically to prevent mob rule, and a few large cities dominating politics. This is what the dumb bint is advocating. The entire government system was setup in 1789 to preclude democracy, because it always and ever devolves into anarchy, discontent, license, agitation. Sound familiar? In point of fact the constitution guarantees a Republic.
“...and force candidates to campaign nationwide instead of targeting a few battleground states that can deliver success in the electoral math.”
Isn’t that cute. What would happen, is candidates wouldn’t bother with flyover country at all, instead campaigning in Florida, California, and New York. Don’t be fooled, the EC actually makes for a more rounded candidate, who must appeal to a more diverse set of constituents and balance policies. The same people who have been advocating this also want to get rid of the Senate. The 17th amendment led to direct election of senators via popular vote, another stupid idea. But they are not content with this - it’s not “fair” you see - that each state has 2 Senators regardless of population.
America - designed by geniuses, run by IDIOTS
Trump can win Colorado so I disagree
They are doingmit at the state level.
States determine the election processes. These states essentially change their laws to give all electors to whoever gets the most votes, turning it into a popular vote.
States set their own election,laws.
All i know is this ought to be the same basis to overturn abortion and gay marriage. States decide. Also for national gun rights and constitutional carry.
Good point. If a disproportionate number of blue states approve it in their legislatures and approach the 270 magic number, then will the Red states be forced to quickly approve their own legislation?
This is unconstitutional as it violates Article Four, Section Four...The federal government shall GUARANTEE to the states a republican form of government.
a republican form of government is one where we elect representatives to represent OUR interest. Awarding OUR INTEREST to a national cause which potentially negates OUR INTEREST denies us our republican form of representation GUARANTEED to us in the Constitution. This effort isn't going anywhere as it cannot happen legally according to the Constitution except by the amendment process.
‘Trump can win Colorado so I disagree’
and since Trump will not be on the ballot by the time this compact is enacted, this is a moot statement...
Kinda wondering if they could actually succeed in banding only the blue states together for an election and they elect their Democratic President. That would be too surreal of course.
Easy to fix. Every conservative state report that they had a zillion gazillion votes, all for the (R) candidate. Leftard states can’t complain, they’re always getting more votes than they have people that live there, so it has to be legit.
‘If a disproportionate number of blue states approve it in their legislatures and approach the 270 magic number, then will the Red states be forced to quickly approve their own legislation?’
it will not become an issue until reliably blue states sign on and reach the 270; very difficult at present...if the 270 is reached by the blue states, red states have no option but to join the compact, and attempt to win the popular vote with increased turnout, even more difficult at present...
Sounds like ‘they’re showing their hand’ for 2020 on how far they will go to steal the election.
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