Others may struggle to meet higher than expected voter turnout levels. Candidates feel these states need a little bit more of their attention and apply pressure to supply these states with solutions to their problems in order to gain their vote. In the 2020 election California did not certify their votes until Friday, December 11, only 3 days before the Electoral College met on Monday, December, 14. Candidates feel they either cant win or lose with the votes from these states. Definition and Examples, How Political Party Convention Delegates are Chosen, What Is a Caucus? It would reduce the influence of third parties on the U.S. presidential election. Although many supporters of the electoral college argue that a two-party political system is more stable, some critics counter that having more than two parties would give Americans more choice. The discussion around using the popular vote for elections has increased since the results of the 2016 election. Hillary Clinton, but won the electoral vote to become the 45thPresident of the United States. 1. Today the Democrats want to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system with a direct popular vote and the Republicans adamantly want to keep it. (2020, December 16). Under the electoral college system, the candidates which receive the most votes in each state (or district) receive its assigned electoral votes. This blog post is a joint effort with Leslie Francis, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. As of now, 15 states and Washington, D.C. have joined the National Popular Vote compact: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Delaware and Oregon. The National Popular Vote bill will take effect when enacted into law by states possessing 270 electoral votes a majority of the current 538 electoral votes. and our Home| Government| Elections| Electoral College| Electoral College Pros And Cons. National Popular Vote proponents argue that the United States has had four presidential elections in which the plurality winner of the popular vote was not chosen as president. The National Popular Vote initiative transpired in 2006. But the national popular vote plan doesn't require a . Unless the national popular vote was very close, or there were all lot of recounts outstanding, the Compact states in most cases would effectively know what the outcome would be and could be prepared to certify their state votes very quickly to make the Electoral College meeting date deadline. Under the plan, Michigan's 15 Electoral . It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes, and will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more. It would reduce the threshold necessary to win the office. For example, if a state used NPV and voted for candidate A, but candidate B received the most votes nationwide, the state would allocate its presidential electors to candidate B. Inside Ohio or Florida, to pick two examples, the big cities do not receive all the attention, and they certainly do not control the outcome. Imagine a scenario where a presidential candidate focuses on Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, OR and Seattle. This was the intent of the Founding Fathers. A shift of a relative handful of votes in one or two states would have elected the second-place candidate in six of the last 12 presidential elections. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all their electoral votes to whichever presidential ticket wins the overall popular vote in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. For example, if a candidate was very popular in New York City, Los Angeles and other large cities, she might not need to earn votes from other areas of the country. How the National Popular Vote Plan Would Work. Here are six reasons why legislators should reject this attempt to jettison our electoral system: 1. Richards earned a master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University. It would eliminate superfluous votes. Even if states impose fines on faithless electors for their actions, it is not a guarantee that the behavior will stop. Evidence as to how a nationwide presidential campaign would be run can be found by examining the way presidential candidates currently campaign inside battleground states. Ken Bickers. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 12th Amendment: Fixing the Electoral College, What Is Majoritarianism? Con:not Eliminate possibility that loser of the popular vote can still win the electoral vote The Proportional Plan A proposed reform where each presidential candidate would receive the percent of electoral votes that they win from each state Proportional Plan Pro:Possible for loser of popular vote to win presidency. One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. If some of the 50 states and DC cannot certify their popular votes by the December deadline that could create a constitutional crisis where we would not have all of the state Electoral College votes certified by the time the Electoral College is required to vote according to the Constitution. This has occurred in 5 of the nation's 56 presidential elections, most recently in 2016. Because every vote is equal inside Ohio or Florida, presidential candidates avidly seek out voters in small, medium, and large towns. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. 5. The bill has passed one chamber in 12 additional states with 96 electoral votes. Similarly, because a national campaign mandates a national message, there would also be a smaller incentive for coalition-building or taking into account the characteristics, needs and desires of citizens in differing states and regions. Secondly, it creates a minimalist depiction in the minds of the candidate towards more than 40 states. This text is available online and is used for gudiance and inspiration, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. That means some voters, like Republicans in California or Democrats in Mississippi, are voting without power and without attention from their preferred candidates each year. Rural voters would almost always be in the minority. The candidate who placed second in the popular vote was elected in 2016, 2000, 1888, 1876, and 1824. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. on Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, Follow All U.S. Citizens Should Vote. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. If the election is based off a popular vote, each of these areas would need to be closely examined in real-time, which would enhance the security of each vote that is cast. Dont know what Ranked Choice Voting is? Candidates get one vote for every congressional district they win, and then two votes for winning the state-wide vote. Also the NPV Compact allows states to withdraw from the compact as late as four months before an election. cons of the national popular vote plan. State Question 820 lays out a statutory framework for a recreational industry that would begin about 90 days after election results are certified. The bill has crossed paths with 36 legislative chambers and has been sponsored or voted for by 3,112 state legislators (National Popular Vote). Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators The National Popular Vote Bill is not a Democrat or Republican bill. Around six-in-ten U.S. adults (63%) say the way the president is elected should be changed so that the winner of the popular vote nationwide wins the presidency, while 35% favor keeping the current Electoral College system, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted June 27-July 4, 2022. on WordPress.com. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. I will explain that in another blog post. Colorado is on the verge of joining a nationwide movement that could eventually change how we choose the next president of the United States. The states' approval of the compact is a victory for democracy and the principle of "one person, one vote." The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact collectively apportions votes to the winner of the overall popular vote without a constitutional amendment abolishing the electoral college or the assent of Congress. In summary, a popular vote is simply a vote in which the individual or issue with the most total votes from a population of voters is the winner. The National Popular Vote plan does not do away with the Electoral College system, an action that would require a constitutional amendment. Americans are still bent up and flustered on how an individual could lose the popular vote, but still, be given the upper hand in Electoral College votes. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. tobin james the blend 2017 ; real estate marketing solutions; cons of the national popular vote plan; lassi kefalonia shops cons of the national popular vote plan It is not at all clear that it would similarly prosper under the direct election regime being pushed by NPV. It has been enacted by twelve states, which include Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, and California. N.p., n.d. Because a direct election would be, by definition, national and resource allocation would be overwhelmingly dominated by paid television advertising, there would be little impetus for grass-roots activity. Learn more about how the National Popular Vote compact works and the ways it could make our elections better for everyone. Either would provide a reason for both parties to compete in most states because there would be electors to win. The National Popular Vote Bill is a bill for Americans interested in both preserving our Electoral College and reforming the shortcomings of our current "winner-take-all" system that awards all the electors of one state to the candidate who wins in that particular state and . The popular vote eliminates this issue too. As the National Popular Vote (NPV) movement steps up its effort to impose a direct election for president, attempting to enlist states with a sufficient number of electors to constitute a majority (268) and to bind them to the winner of the national popular vote, those states considering the proposal might first reflect on the nightmare aftermath When you cast your ballot, you're not actually voting directly for your favored presidential candidate. Hence, the National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact a type of state law authorized by the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into a legally enforceable, contractual obligation to undertake agreed joint actions, which may be delayed in implementation until a requisite number of states join in. During a popular vote, a candidate who withdraws from the race or dies before the election can be held could still be on the ballot. June 7, 2022 . Hence, the National Popular Vote plan is an interstate compact a type of state law authorized by the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into a legally enforceable, contractual obligation to undertake agreed joint actions, which may be delayed in implementation until a requisite number of states join in.