The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. A close election would trigger the need for a full recount. During the 2012 elections, 38 states, also known as spectator states, were ignored and forgotten. At that stage, anyone who received an electoral vote is eligible to become the next president. In U.S. history, the electoral college winner has failed to secure the popular vote 5 times. Using a popular vote system, candidates could campaign regionally, targeting major areas of support, to secure enough votes to win an election. The popular vote currently gives every citizenCalifornians and Texans, Hawaiians and Mainers, Alabamans and Oregoniansan equal say in choosing the president. Under the Electoral College system, voters in states that are overwhelmingly in support of one candidate might feel like their vote is unimportant. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among states and the District of Columbia to award their respective electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote of the presidential election. Post author: Post published: June 29, 2022 Post category: Uncategorized Post comments: paris apartment eiffel tower view for sale paris apartment eiffel tower view for sale 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 Without the popular vote bill, swing states would continue to get more leverage and attention from candidates to ensure that they would be able to capture their votes. The Electoral College distorts presidential campaigns . Lastly, some Americans believe that there would be an increase in voter turn-out if people felt that their vote was viewed as a significant asset to their country. 5. When a popular vote is held for a national office, the election becomes more about platform issues than local issues. 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. Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact 1. It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes, and will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more. The Constitution specifically leaves details like how the electoral votes are cast up to the states. But with the NPV Compact a change in party control of just one or two states could restore the old system of electing the president and then four years later it could be changed back. 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. 5. 3. The principal flaw in the plan is its assumption that under the plan there will still be only two major parties competing for the presidency in 2020. . In each instance the republic has survived, and democracy has prospered despite the challenges presented. More people live in urban regions, which means they would have a constant sway over the election. 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 5. It is perhaps the most simplistic form of an election. 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. District Plan CONS Technically still possible, but A LOT hard to do so District 1 = Romney 57% District 2 = Romney 52% District 3 = Romney 70% Gerrymandering. If enacted by enough states, the National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Or the opposite could be true. Once effective, states could withdraw from the compact at any time except during the six-month window between July 20 of an election year and Inauguration Day (January 20). Definition and Examples. If the presidential election were switched to the popular vote, then it would only take about 35% of the vote for a candidate to win. N.p., n.d. 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. 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. If a popular vote were allowed to declare a winner instead, it wouldnt be through a state-by-state counting of electoral votes. To take effect, the National Popular Vote bill must be enacted by the state legislatures of states controlling a total of 270 electoral votes - a majority of the overall 538 electoral votes and the number currently required to elect a president. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. Before the 2016 election, the largest vote deficit in the popular vote was Al Gore securing over 500,000 votes more than George W. Bush. The United States has a representative democracy rather than a direct democracy: Citizens elect representatives rather than voting on each bill. Candidates get one vote for every congressional district they win, and then two votes for winning the state-wide vote. 5. In the U.S., that means people who lean Democratic live in urban areas, while people who lean Republican live in rural areas. If that was to take place, America could potentially face the same issues it is facing now. It has its pros and cons though, many of which critics debate over. 2. A popular vote structure would virtually eliminate the idea of a third-party candidate having a chance in an election. cons of the national popular vote plansuper lemon haze greenhouse. 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. Every state is allocated several votes according to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. 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. And that would lead to chaos in how political parties campaign for president and could also undermine the legitimacy of the process. Where the National Popular Vote Plan Stands. It could help to reduce partisanship. Under the electoral college, the majority votes of states assign electoral votes to a candidate, which then creates a majority total required for a victory. Over the years, the National Popular Vote bill has been introduced in the legislatures of all 50 states. 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. If the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact becomes law it would be an excellent first step to help get a future amendment to the Constitution to replace the Electoral College/Winner-Take-All system to elect the president with a national popular vote using Ranked Choice Voting. To date, the bill has passed at least one legislative chamber in 9 states possessing 82 combined electoral votes: AR, AZ, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, OK, and OR. The National Popular Vote effort, explained The National Popular Vote effort is now halfway to its goal of electing future presidents via the popular vote, after Rhode Island Gov. To determine the National Popular Vote winner, state election officials simply would tally the nationwide vote for president based on each states official results. (LogOut/ Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? More attention is given to the swing states, such as Florida and Iowa, which causes the third problem the Electoral College can cause. The time to stop its momentum is now. On April 15, 2014 Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State quietly signed into law the National Popular Vote, making New York the 10th state -- along with the District of Columbia -- to support this effort, while also boosting the total numbers to 165 of the 270 electoral votes needed to make a true national popular vote a reality. 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. One of the biggest reasons why voters dont vote is because they feel like their vote doesnt count. cons of the national popular vote planchicago religious demographics. Electoral votes are designated among the states based on Census. The pros and cons of the popular vote structure of an election allow for the majority to have their say in who they wish to serve. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. Wyoming had just 3 electoral votes, but only had 255,000 voters as well. This feature is critical to the passionate bipartisan support the compact receives. Surprisingly enough, the National Popular Vote bill could possibly bring forth some problems. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Mayors, governors, and senators are all elected by a simple majority. 8. She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. Some critics argue that more people would vote in a direct popular election, according to the University of the Pacific. The cost of a presidential election in the United States is already several billion dollars. on Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, Follow All U.S. Citizens Should Vote. In states with large population centers, individual voters have less power than voters in smaller states. The discussion around using the popular vote for elections has increased since the results of the 2016 election. A switch to the popular vote would eliminate the concept of a battleground state because the issue would be more on issues than states. 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. The electoral requires that an election which does not receive a majority of electoral votes be taken into the U.S. House of Representatives. 622 By John Samples The National Popular Vote plan (NPV), introduced in more than 40 states, and adopted. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. 2. The framers enacted the provisions relating to the Electoral College to allow for state innovation. After the process, the President of the Senate reveals who has officially been voted in as President and Vice President of the United States. As of July 2020, a National Popular Vote bill has been signed into law in 16 states controlling a total of 196 electoral votes, including 4 small states, 8 medium-sized states, 3 big states (California, Illinois, and New York), and the District of Columbia. Although it is sometimes conjectured that a national popular election would focus only on big cities, it is clear that this would not be the case. Electing a president who did not have broad regional support could lead to a fractured and less cohesive country, according to the Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Is the National Popular Vote Plan Constitutional? People are moving to live in like-minded communities more than ever before. Louisiana voters should decide who receives Louisiana's electoral votes. Under the current structure of presidential elections in the U.S., the states become a battleground of red states vs. blue states. every decade states are redistricted could be redrawn to capture house seats and corrupt the Presidential election The appeal of NPV is the simplicity of its message. The states' approval of the compact is a victory for democracy and the principle of "one person, one vote." In 2016, Gary Johnson received 4.48 million votes and 0 electoral votes, but the potential is always there for this to happen.