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In 2024 94% of campaigning was in only seven states, while there were 43 'spectator' states. Under a NPV scenario within each state, each vote would count. For example, in 2012, when Barack Obama defeated Senator Mitt Romney, all 13 Virginia electoral votes went to Obama. The 1.8 million votes for Romney were ignored once the Virginia tally was completed. This is why the battle cry for NPV is “Every Vote Counts!”
As a means to achieve this end, 17 states plus the District of Columbia have signed on to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, thus representing 209 electoral votes. Under the Compact, the National Popular Vote approach goes into effect once adopted by states that represent at least 270 electoral votes.
When the Compact goes into effect, each state in the Compact has stated that whoever wins the popular vote in the country, gets that state's electoral votes. So, California, Illinois and New York would go with the popular vote winner, as would Maine, Hawaii, New Mexico and Colorado, to name a few of the 18.
In Virginia, a measure to join the Compact passed in the House of Delegates in 2020, but not in the Senate. Virginia is still viewed as one of the states likely to join the Compact. It has been brought up in the General Assembly regularly. As to the electoral college itself, that was established in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution. It ultimately requires a Federal Constitutional Amendment to abolish that system entirely. The NPV campaign is a League priority, so more as this develops.
~ Susan Bivins, President LWV of Williamsburg Area |