The NPV is a multi-state agreement that, when active, would ensure that the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote nationally also wins in the Electoral College. In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore won the popular vote by more than 500,000 ballots, but George Bush became president by winning the Electoral College 271 to 266. Past Event: The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties has announced plans to broadcast a webinar discussing the National Popular Vote (NPV) on Monday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. National Popular Vote has been leading the campaign to fix the electoral college and elect the president by national popular vote since its founding in 2006 . Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education, Explore state by state cost analysis of US colleges in an interactive article, Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections: The Electoral College, University of the Pacific: Electoral College Reform, University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School: The Electoral College. This move would ensure that the Presidency would be given to the candidate that received the most popular votes all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A Critique of the National Popular Vote October 13, 2008 Policy Analysis No. Longley, Robert. evergreen funeral home live stream. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that are not affected by this approach. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. In addition, the bill has been unanimously approved at the committee level in the states of Georgia and Missouri, controlling a combined 27 electoral votes. Thats a bank of about 14 million potential voters that reliably vote as a majority for Democratic candidates. On a close popular vote, often defined as a difference of 0.5% or less in the tabulated results, an automatic recount would likely be triggered. The discussion around using the popular vote for elections has increased since the results of the 2016 election. It would limit the influence of local issues in the election. An individuals vote doesnt make a difference when it is counted against the votes of the delegates in the House of Representatives and Senate. In 2004, for example, candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry campaigned heavily in states such as Nevada while ignoring political issues in New York, a state that Kerry was sure to win, according to the University of the Pacific. 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. (LogOut/ The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. Under the plan, Michigan's 15 Electoral . It is not at all clear that it would similarly prosper under the direct election regime being pushed by NPV. Either would likely produce an electoral vote count closer to the popular vote. Under the system of proportional representation, any party with a high enough percentage of the vote will receive a seat in the government. As a result, the percentage of popular votes secured by Donald Trump was just 46.4% in comparison with Hilary Clinton, who secured 48.5% of the votes. 5. As of December 2020, the bill has been fully adopted predominately by Democratic-majority blue states which delivered the 14 largest vote shares for Barack Obama in the 2012 Presidential Election. Even though pre-election polls made conspicuous predictions of Hilary Clinton winning the presidency and . That's almost 1.5 billion . But if some non-member Some critics argue that more people would vote in a direct popular election, according to the University of the Pacific. National Popular Vote compact pros and cons. The use of the Electoral College has been the only approach the U.S. has used to gain a President, but this way has generated numerous issues. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. 2. Change). Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. In 2016, Florida had 29 electoral votes and 9.4 million voters, created a voter value of 0.72. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. Longley, Robert. . Imperfect, because its modern-day blessings -- enhancing coalition building, pluralism, federalism and grass-roots participation -- are enjoyed only by a minority of states (in any given presidential election 18 or 20), where the battle for electoral votes is competitive for both major parties. In theory that could happen every four years. 4. 5. The National Popular Vote compact would have the same effect as a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College but has the benefit of retaining the power to control presidential elections in states hands. 1. The National Popular Vote plan is a bill passed by participating state legislatures agreeing that they will cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote. 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. Surprisingly enough, the National Popular Vote bill could possibly bring forth some problems. With the polarization in global politics today, especially in the United States, a switch to the popular vote would likely increase costs even further. 6. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. 2. NCSL's experts are here to answer your questions and give you unbiased, comprehensive information as soon as you need it on issues facing state legislatures. 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. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. Disadvantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. In states with large population centers, individual voters have less power than voters in smaller states. All other votes cast for that candidate are therefore superfluous. In 2016, Gary Johnson received 4.48 million votes and 0 electoral votes, but the potential is always there for this to happen. Even the minority party wouldnt be encouraged to negotiate because they could simply stall until the next election. http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/. After the process, the President of the Senate reveals who has officially been voted in as President and Vice President of the United States. "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. Start and finish your paper with ease. 3. Washington, DC 20005, Common Cause pays tribute to our leader, our friend, and a lifelong advocate for our democracy, Constitution, Courts & Other Democracy Issues, Ensure Fair Districts & Reflective Democracy, Expand Voting Rights & Election Integrity, Promote Free Speech & Accountability in Media, Protect the Constitution, Courts & Other Democracy Reforms. Each states electoral votes are tallied by Congress in the House chamber by House and Senate representatives on the 6th day of January following the Presidential election. List of the Cons of Proportional Representation. There are alternatives to winner-take-all that do not involve abandoning the positive aspects of the Electoral College. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. National Popular Vote will create a single member district (all 50 states and D.C.), where the candidate with the most votes wins and . Once enacted, the participating states would cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote, thus ensuring that candidate the required 270 electoral votes. Although faithless electors have not affected the results or outcome of an election yet, in 2016, there were 7 faithless electors. It fails to reach the ideal of one-person one-vote. ThoughtCo, Dec. 16, 2020, thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. The electoral requires that an election which does not receive a majority of electoral votes be taken into the U.S. House of Representatives. It is also true that no president since 1824 has received the votes of a majority of the eligible voters and 18 presidents, including Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, John. In U.S. history, the electoral college winner has failed to secure the popular vote 5 times. That created a voter value of 2.85. It would be a national mandate to put someone in office, even if that winning candidate received less than 50% of the vote. 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. cons of the national popular vote plan. In countries where the concept of popular votes is in place, every vote has an equal weight regarding the election outcome. 4. Going to the popular vote would eliminate this issue altogether. Their vote only counts at the local level, not the national level, because of the electoral votes. It would reduce the threshold necessary to win the office. Yes. 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. 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 . Ken Bickers. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-national-popular-vote-plan-3322047. Proponents of the National Popular Vote fail to understand the most basic facts about the American presidential electoral system. Under the Electoral College system, voters in states that are overwhelmingly in support of one candidate might feel like their vote is unimportant. This has occurred in 5 of the nation's 56 presidential elections, most recently in 2016. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. In fact, let's tally up all the votes cast for president between 1932 and 2008. This would happen in the extremely unlikely situation where this candidate would win just for one vote in some . It could help to reduce partisanship. Inicio; Nota Biografica; Obra; Blogs. F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were elected with less than a majority of the votes cast. The Electoral College is very undemocratic and riddled with issues. That offers the possibility that someone unwilling or unable to hold the office could be elected. 8. There are logistical issues that are managed at the local level in each election. National Popular Vote - Pros and Cons "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee the Right to Vote for All U.S. Citizens. When you cast your ballot, you're not actually voting directly for your favored presidential candidate. NCSL conducts policy research in areas ranging from agriculture and budget and tax issues to education and health care to immigration and transportation. We have seen this outcome in the 2016 Presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and in the 2000 election between George H.W. Because its so hard to get an amendment to the Constitution passed that means that once it becomes law it will probably remain so for a long time because the bar to change it back is so high. Advantage: Encourages Voter Turnout 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 2. There are pros and cons to both systems. In Maine, both houses of the legislature passed the bill in 2019, but it failed at the final enactment step. It awards all the bonus votes to the winner of the popular vote. After all, the Electoral College makes it possible that a candidate who wins the majority of the votes could still lose the election. Although this may limit the amount of diversity that occurs in office, and may generate extra financial costs, the argument could be made that these risks outweigh the results of an election where a majority of states, not a majority of people, put someone into office. The winner would receive one vote per congressional district won with the winner of the state popular vote gaining a two electoral votes. Just 12 Closely Divided Battleground States Got 96% of 2020 Campaign Events. Of the 538 Electoral College votes available, Donald J. Trump received 304 votes, Hillary Clinton received 227 votes, and seven votes went to others: three for Colin Powell, one for Faith Spotted Eagle, one for John Kasich, one for Ron Paul, and one for Bernie Sanders). That means every state is allowed a minimum of 3 electoral votes. If that was to take place, America could potentially face the same issues it is facing now. The senators in the U.S. Senate make up two votes in addition to the votes that represent the number of its members in the U.S. House of Representatives (Archives). But for those people who feel that changing how we elect the president should only be done by constitutional amendment they will feel that using the NPV Compact will undermine the legitimacy of the process even though its perfectly legal and constitutional. According to the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School, some proponents of the Electoral College argue that it isolates election problems, such as illegally extended voting hours or irregularly high voter turnout. Opines that the national popular vote plan is the wrong way to abolith the electoral college. The votes of those who do not live in closely divided battleground states effectively count less. Lastly, the biggest problem that the Electoral College produces is the reality that a persons vote really doesnt matter (Black). On average, studies show that falls in line with historical averages showing around 60 percent of eligible voters casting a vote in presidential election years. Part of HuffPost Politics. That means the cost of counting all the votes would be duplicated. The Electoral College system, however imperfect, serves this broader view of democracy. "The National Popular Vote Plan." Either would provide a reason for both parties to compete in most states because there would be electors to win. A direct popular election would make it more possible for third-party candidates to succeed and would also encourage political parties to become more radical and extreme. Using a popular vote system, candidates could campaign regionally, targeting major areas of support, to secure enough votes to win an election. 41 States (with 80% of U.S. population) will be Ignored in the 2024 Presidential Election. Currently, 48 of the 50 states follow the winner-take-all rule. Heres how. The popular vote currently gives every citizenCalifornians and Texans, Hawaiians and Mainers, Alabamans and Oregoniansan equal say in choosing the president. This was the intent of the Founding Fathers. Under the electoral college system, if a state consistently pulls as leaning to one party, someone who supports the other party may not vote because they feel like there isnt a need to do so. The amendment requires that any change to the rate of compensation for members of Congress can only take effect after a subsequent election in the House of Representatives. Is this a solution to first past the post or is it merely reinforcing our current two party system? 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. The selection of presidential electors is specifically entrusted to the states by the Constitution. How the US Electoral College System Works, Biography of Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, What Is Statutory Law? They have only won the popular vote once. It isnt impossible to pass a Constitutional amendment, though history shows that it is not an easy process to complete. It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes, and will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more. First it would be relatively easy to implement. This feature is critical to the passionate bipartisan support the compact receives. However that presumably rare exception happened in the 2000 election when Florida could not complete their statewide recount in time for the Electoral College deadline and the Supreme Court forced Florida to use their first vote count without a statewide recount. All in all, the Electoral College causes many problems that seem unfair to American voters during such an important election. The National Popular Vote stems from the winner-take-all approach that validates the presidential candidate interactions with only 4 out of 50 dates during their campaign. In fact, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which has now been adopted by 15 states and the District of Columbia, totaling 196 electoral votes, is an actionable and realistic . How Many Electoral Votes Does a Candidate Need to Win? E pluribus unum -- out of many, one. As of December 2020, the National Popular Vote bill has been adopted by 15 states and the District of Columbia, controlling 196 electoral votes: CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NM, NY, OR, RI, VT, and WA. What would happen during a switch to the popular vote would be unknown. It could encourage voter turnout. There are a number of pros for this method. A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. But we're closer to that than you might think 15 states and the District of Columbia have already signed on, providing 196 electoral votes of the needed 270. Bosque de Palabras 4. This advance is referred to as the winner-take-all approach. That nightmare may seem like a pleasant dream if NPV has its way. 7. For more information, please see our The lack of competition and campaigning in a majority of states owes itself not to the existence of the Electoral College's indirect method of choosing presidents but rather to the winner-take-all method of choosing electors in all but two states. 8. Nevada passed the legislation in 2019, but Gov. Proportional Plan 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. The National Popular Vote (NPV) refers to the concept of allocating a state's presidential electors to the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide regardless of the state results in a presidential election. The United States does not have direct election of its president, yet most national, state and local offices are filled by the candidate with the most votes. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact 1.