boutons_deux
04-03-2014, 11:36 AM
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ElectoralCollege-638x370.png
Just one week after both houses of the New York legislature backed a plan to ensure that the person who receives the most votes in a presidential election actually becomes President of the United States (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/03/26/3419339/new-york-legislature-backs-plan-to-effectively-abolish-the-electoral-college/), a majority of the Maine state senate threw their support behind the same plan (http://bangordailynews.com/2014/04/01/politics/maine-senate-gives-early-nod-to-bill-to-dump-electoral-college-in-favor-of-directly-electing-president/).
The plan, known as the National Popular Vote compact, provides that states who sign onto this plan will give all of their electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote in the nation as a whole, regardless of whether that candidate wins that particular state. To ensure that the compact does not lead to absurd results, it does not actually kick in until a bloc of states totaling 270 electoral votes have signed on. If New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signs the bill in his state, the compact will be just under 60 percent of the way towards achieving this goal.
Though there is nothing inherently partisan about the compact, it has thus far proved far more popular in blue states than in red states — the Oklahoma senate is the only red state legislature to support it (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/02/14/3294001/oklahoma-national-popular-vote/). Accordingly, Maine is unlikely to join the compact so long as Gov. Paul LePage (R) remains governor.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/04/03/3422012/maine-senate-backs-plan-to-neutralize-the-electoral-college/
Just one week after both houses of the New York legislature backed a plan to ensure that the person who receives the most votes in a presidential election actually becomes President of the United States (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/03/26/3419339/new-york-legislature-backs-plan-to-effectively-abolish-the-electoral-college/), a majority of the Maine state senate threw their support behind the same plan (http://bangordailynews.com/2014/04/01/politics/maine-senate-gives-early-nod-to-bill-to-dump-electoral-college-in-favor-of-directly-electing-president/).
The plan, known as the National Popular Vote compact, provides that states who sign onto this plan will give all of their electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote in the nation as a whole, regardless of whether that candidate wins that particular state. To ensure that the compact does not lead to absurd results, it does not actually kick in until a bloc of states totaling 270 electoral votes have signed on. If New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signs the bill in his state, the compact will be just under 60 percent of the way towards achieving this goal.
Though there is nothing inherently partisan about the compact, it has thus far proved far more popular in blue states than in red states — the Oklahoma senate is the only red state legislature to support it (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/02/14/3294001/oklahoma-national-popular-vote/). Accordingly, Maine is unlikely to join the compact so long as Gov. Paul LePage (R) remains governor.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/04/03/3422012/maine-senate-backs-plan-to-neutralize-the-electoral-college/