With their new trifectas in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada, Democrats could sign onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, in which states give their electoral votes to whoever wins the nationwide popular vote. All five of those states haven’t yet signed; the 19 that have possess 222 of the 270 votes needed to win the presidency. The additional states would activate the Compact. Some states might decline, bellyaching over losing their place of prominence in picking the president, but that would be irritatingly myopic: of the five presidents who won while losing the popular vote, four were Republicans.
Talk about historic.
Like any other State law, it would potentially vary by State. Could be as little as a new law passing, revoking the Compact agreement. But that’s generally all that sets the rules in the first place anyway, which is why it’s relatively easy to actually reform via this method in the first place. The Electoral College system was designed to be reformed directly by the States if necessary, it just hasn’t really been changed since it’s reason for existing in the first place was helping to ensure slave states still maintained more power than their fair share (like many other concessions made 200 years ago to appease them).
There’s a minimum threshold, but that doesn’t mean other states can’t join the Compact after it’s already active to further strengthen it. Quite a few States don’t really do much leading on their own, they kind of just join the big bandwagons.
That’s what I was afraid of. The phrase “nuke the electoral college” isn’t exactly true.
Maybe these states could put it up for vote as a state amendment or something. Getting buy in from the people would make it stronger.
If we can get it done once, we’re much closer to making it permanent.
Exactly.
Its not the whole solution, but a step toward it.
The current laws in most cases are the exact same, State laws governing how Electoral College electors are assigned are usually just regular laws that can be replaced at any time. That’s the entire reason why the Compact is the quickest and easiest way to fix the problem.
Worry about making it more permanent later. Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. Especially when one of the political parties are specifically trying to obstruct EVERYTHING regardless of reason.