Latest news with #NationalPopularVote
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Effort to pull Maine out of national popular vote compact fails
People emerge from the Besse Building after casting their ballots in Albion, Maine on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. (Photo by Michael G. Seamans/ Maine Morning Star) After the chambers of the Maine Legislature failed to agree, an effort to remove the state from a compact that seeks to abolish the Electoral College failed on Tuesday. In 2024, the Legislature adopted something called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which Gov. Janet Mills allowed to become law without her signature. States that are part of the compact pledge their Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate with the most overall votes across the country, but it would only take effect once states with a total of 270 Electoral College votes have joined. Including Maine, 17 states and the District of Columbia have ratified the agreement, giving the compact a total of 209 electoral votes. Earlier this month, the Maine House of Representatives passed legislation, LD 252, that sought to repeal the decision to enter the compact. The Senate tabled the bill until Monday, when the upper chamber failed to pass it with a 16-18 vote before ultimately rejecting it. Both the House and Senate insisted on their positions on Tuesday, effectively killing the bill. Maine and Nebraska are the only states that split their electoral votes across candidates. Other states use a winner-take-all system where the candidate with the majority of the state's popular vote gets all of the state's electoral votes. During floor speeches throughout consideration of LD 252, lawmakers disagreed on whether the current system or one in which the Electoral College is nullified would better represent Maine. In the House on Tuesday, Rep. Barbara A. Bagshaw (R-Windham) argued the current system reflects the will of all 50 states individually, whereas the National Popular Vote would dilute Mainers' votes. However, Rep. Arthur Bell (D-Yarmouth), who sponsored the legislation to enter the pact last year, argued during a floor debate last month that the Electoral College system results in candidates only paying attention to voters in swing states, which Maine is not. Mills allowed the measure to become law last year because she saw merit in both sides of this argument. 'Recognizing that this measure has been the subject of public discussion several times before in Maine, I would like this important nationwide debate to continue and so I will allow this bill to become law without my signature,' she said in the statement at the time. And both sides of the debate do not fall squarely along party lines. While LD 252 was sponsored solely by Republicans, it has been backed by some Democrats in committee and floor votes. In April, the majority of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted in favor of it, with eight legislators — Republicans, Democrats and one unenrolled — in support and five Democrats opposed. Separately, the committee voted against another proposal, LD 1356, that sought to change Maine's method of allocating electoral votes from the current district split to a winner-take-all system — but only if Nebraska also adopts winner-take-all. This bill is currently tabled in the House. In April, the Nebraska Legislature killed a bill that sought to make this switch, after Republicans failed to secure enough votes to overcome a four-hour filibuster. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine likely to remain in compact to choose presidents based on national popular vote
Jun. 16—AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate voted Monday to reject an effort to withdraw from a multistate compact that could eventually require Maine to award its four Electoral College votes for president to the winner of the national popular vote. The 18-16 vote against withdrawing from the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact means the bill is unlikely to secure final passage, even after the House of Representatives voted 76-71 to repeal the law enacted last year to have Maine join the agreement. The measure was not debated in the Senate Monday, though it did draw arguments from lawmakers when it was before the House last month. Rep. Barbara Bagshaw, R-Windham, the sponsor of LD 252, and other opponents said Maine's current system, which awards two electoral votes to the statewide winner and one to the winner in each of the state's two congressional districts, should be preserved and emulated across the country. They argued that rural voters, especially in the 2nd District, would be silenced and that Maine would be giving its influence to larger states. "Under the current system, Mainers' votes matter, our rural communities matter, our people's priorities matter," Bagshaw said. "But under the national popular vote, Maine's influence would be cast aside for larger populations thousands of miles away." Proponents of the compact have said the presidency is a unique national office that should go to whoever wins the most votes nationally, even if they end up with fewer Electoral College votes. They argue that the current system forces candidates to concentrate on winning votes in a handful of swing states, while ignoring others. When a state joins the compact, it pledges that all of its electoral votes will be given to whichever presidential candidate wins the popular vote nationwide, rather than the candidate who won the vote in just that state. The compact will only be activated after enough states join to control 270 Electoral College votes, the minimum number needed to win the presidency. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C., have enacted national popular vote laws and have committed 209 electoral votes so far, according to the nonprofit National Popular Vote, which advocates for states to join the compact. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine Senate rejects effort to pull out of compact to choose presidents based on national popular vote
Jun. 16—AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate voted Monday to reject an effort to withdraw from a multistate compact that could eventually require Maine to award its four Electoral College votes for president to the winner of the national popular vote. The 18-16 vote against withdrawing from the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact means the bill is unlikely to secure final passage, even after the House of Representatives voted 76-71 to repeal the law enacted last year to have Maine join the agreement. The measure was not debated in the Senate Monday, though it did draw arguments from lawmakers when it was before the House last month. Rep. Barbara Bagshaw, R-Windham, the sponsor of LD 252, and other opponents said Maine's current system, which awards two electoral votes to the statewide winner and one to the winner in each of the state's two congressional districts, should be preserved and emulated across the country. They argued that rural voters, especially in the 2nd District, would be silenced and that Maine would be giving its influence to larger states. "Under the current system, Mainers' votes matter, our rural communities matter, our people's priorities matter," Bagshaw said. "But under the national popular vote, Maine's influence would be cast aside for larger populations thousands of miles away." Proponents of the compact have said the presidency is a unique national office that should go to whoever wins the most votes nationally, even if they end up with fewer Electoral College votes. They argue that the current system forces candidates to concentrate on winning votes in a handful of swing states, while ignoring others. When a state joins the compact, it pledges that all of its electoral votes will be given to whichever presidential candidate wins the popular vote nationwide, rather than the candidate who won the vote in just that state. The compact will only be activated after enough states join to control 270 Electoral College votes, the minimum number needed to win the presidency. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C., have enacted national popular vote laws and have committed 209 electoral votes so far, according to the nonprofit National Popular Vote, which advocates for states to join the compact. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
National Popular Vote system bill enters Pa. House
Harrisburg, Pa. — Five times in U.S. history, the winner of the electoral college received fewer total votes than their opponents during presidential elections. The National Popular Vote movement was launched as pushback against these events and seeks to enforce the "one person, one vote" principle of American democracy. On April 9, Rep. Chris Rabb was joined by Rep. Heather Boyd to reintroduce a bill that, if passed, would move Pennsylvania to a popular vote system. If accepted, this would make Pennsylvania the 18th state to join the movement, which also includes the District of Columbia. 'Every voter of every party should have an equal voice in presidential elections,' said Rep. Rabb, of Philadelphia, the bill's author. 'This is the fundamental principle that our democracy builds on — that every vote counts equally. Not that some votes count more than others. It is time for Pa. to join other states in ensuring that every vote counts equally.' If enacted, HB 270 would add Pa. to the coalition of states in agreement that the winner of the most individual votes should become the U.S. president. The system would only take effect if states with 270 electoral votes have joined. Currently, the National Popular Vote coalition represents 209 electoral votes, and Pennsylvania could add an additional 19.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania looks to move to ‘National Popular Vote' over electoral college vote
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Two Pennsylvania Representatives have introduced a bill that would elect a presidential candidate based on popular vote instead of electoral college votes. The bill, authored by Reps. Christopher Rabb and Heather Boyd, argue that there is a fundamental contradiction between the 'one-person, one-vote' principle in American democracy and the electoral college. This contradiction lies in the fact that twice in recent presidential elections, five times in U.S. history total, the winner of the electoral college received fewer total votes than their opponent. 'Every voter, of every party, should have an equal voice in presidential elections,' Rabb said. 'This is the fundamental principle that our democracy builds on – that every vote counts equally. Not that some votes count more than others. It is time for PA to join other states in ensuring that every vote counts equally.' The bill would move Pennsylvania to a 'popular vote system,' joining 17 other states and the District of Columbia in the National Popular Vote movement. The Representatives argue that Pennsylvania voters should feel as though they play a meaningful role by electing the president by National Popular Vote. If passed, the legislation would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who wins the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and would take effect when states with 270 electoral votes have passed the bill. The National Popular Vote bill has a total of 209 electoral, with Pennsylvania offering 19. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
