National Popular Vote

You Can Still Help.

3/1/23 Update

Currently, there are states representing 195 electors of the 270 needed to enact the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact for US president. https://www.nationalpopularvote.com

This spring we have a good chance to pass states that represent more than 30 additional electors, and a possible chance of reaching 270. 

Your Help is Still Needed
in making
Every Vote Equal

Vote presidential election on
seal stamp design.

If you are willing to do ‘text-banking’ or ‘phone-banking’ or write postcards for the national effort that is currently concentrating on Minnesota, Michigan, Maine, Alaska and perhaps others, please consider learning how.  It’s easy. (Contact League member below). 

Reminder: the state of Oregon has already signed onto the NPV interstate compact.  LWVOR was a sponsor.  Now it is your chance to take it further.

Contact: Barbara Klein, action@lwvroguevalley.org

Barbara was on the original NPV national study (2008) and the sponsor of the 2010 LWVUS concurrence that passed the support for NPVIC along with abolition of the Electoral College.  She then served on the LWVUS National Popular Vote Task Force.  And currently participates on the LWVOR action committee.

Recent past:

Watch this interesting video by National Geographic that discusses the history of the Electoral College and how it could be reformed.

For the latest information on the National Popular Vote please visit https://www.nationalpopularvote.com & their Oregon Facebook page. Also see the National Popular Vote on Facebook.

Note the League of Women Voters’ position is to eliminate the electoral college.

Also the national League’s Blog on 11/5/20 reveals how the electoral college was created – out of compromise (interesting history!). And it goes on to say every state has its own set of rules. The electoral college meets on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December. This year the date is Dec. 14, 2020.

On June 12, 2019 Governor Kate Brown signed the National Popular Vote bill (SB 870), becoming the 16th jurisdiction to enact the National Popular Vote Bill. Source: https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/state/or

On July 6, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that states have the power to require presidential electors to vote for their party’s candidate for President.  All 9 justices agreed with the result (with 8 justices agreeing to the majority opinion). 

The Supreme Court’s decision allows states to pass laws requiring presidential electors to faithfully cast their votes.  In 2011, the National Popular Vote organization endorsed the “Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act” written by the Uniform Law Commission in 2010.  The Supreme Court decision makes clear that the Uniform Law Commission’s proposed law is constitutional.

Read More Here

What the NPV Would Do

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

On June 12, 2019, Governor Kate Brown signed SB 870 to add Oregon to the National Popular Voter Interstate Compact becoming the 16th state to pass similar legislation, according to Oregon-National Popular Vote.

The decision to join the Compact is in line with the League’s basic premise — one person, one vote.

The agreement established by the states’ laws will go into effect only if the cumulative total of the states’ electoral votes surpasses the 270 necessary for a majority. The most recent addition, New Mexico, put the total at 189 electoral votes, and Oregon’s seven electoral votes would clock in for a total of 196.

https://www.wral.com/oregon-bill-granting-electoral-college-votes-to-national-popular-vote-winner-heads-to-governors-desk/18434444/

Visit the National Popular Vote Oregon Facebook page.

Visit the National Popular Vote website for fascinating facts and stats about the status of NPVC in all of the states in the United States.

In an article on June 5th, 2019 The Oregonian said:

That could mean that Oregon’s seven Electoral College votes could one day be awarded to a candidate who did not win the most votes in Oregon.

The compact will only take effect when enough states have joined to collectively award a majority of votes in the Electoral College.

The threshold to reach that majority is 270. According to the National Popular Vote organization, jurisdictions representing 189 Electoral College votes have joined the compact so far. If Oregon joins, the effort would be seven votes closer.

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2019/06/oregon-set-to-change-the-way-it-awards-electoral-college-votes.html

Useful & Interesting Links about National Popular Vote:

**LWVUV held a public meeting on this subject on 4/18/17 at the formerly Douglas County Library, now the Roseburg Public Library. And now it’s history!