Popular vote not popular enough in State and Local Gov’t Ops

[This story originally appeared in the April 3 issue of The PIM Weekly Report.]

Just before the election last fall, we brought you the story of the push to bring the National Popular Vote compact to Minnesota. By way of clarification, the bill would make Minnesota part of an interstate compact that would alter the way the state allocates its electors

2 Responses to “Popular vote not popular enough in State and Local Gov’t Ops”

1. mvymvy Says:
   December 14th, 2009 at 10:59 am

   A survey of 800 Minnesota voters showed 75% overall support for a national popular vote for President.

   Support was 84% among Democrats, 69% among Republicans, and 68% among others.

   By age, support was 74% among 18-29 year olds, 73% among 30-45 year olds, 77% among 46-65 year olds, and 75% for those older than 65.

   By gender, support was 83% among women and 67% among men.

   By race, support was 76% among whites (representing 91% of respondents), 60% among African Americans (representing 3% of respondents), and 63% among others (representing 6% of respondents).

   The survey was conducted on January 15-16, 2009, by Public Policy Polling.

   see http://www.NationalPopularVote.com

2. mvymvy Says:
   December 14th, 2009 at 11:01 am

   The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).

   Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections.

   The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes–that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538). When the bill comes into effect, all the electoral votes from those states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).

   The Constitution gives every state the power to allocate its electoral votes for president, as well as to change state law on how those votes are awarded.

   The bill is currently endorsed by over 1,659 state legislators (in 48 states) who have sponsored and/or cast recorded votes in favor of the bill.

   In Gallup polls since 1944, only about 20% of the public has supported the current system of awarding all of a state’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most votes in each separate state (with about 70% opposed and about 10% undecided). The recent Washington Post, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University poll shows 72% support for direct nationwide election of the President. This national result is similar to recent polls in closely divided battleground states: Colorado– 68%, Iowa –75%, Michigan– 73%, Missouri– 70%, New Hampshire– 69%, Nevada– 72%, New Mexico– 76%, North Carolina– 74%, Ohio– 70%, Pennsylvania — 78%, Virginia — 74%, and Wisconsin — 71%; in smaller states (3 to 5 electoral votes): Delaware –75%, Maine — 77%, Nebraska — 74%, New Hampshire –69%, Nevada — 72%, New Mexico — 76%, Rhode Island — 74%, and Vermont — 75%; in Southern and border states: Arkansas –80%, Kentucky — 80%, Mississippi –77%, Missouri — 70%, North Carolina — 74%, and Virginia — 74%; and in other states polled: California — 70%, Connecticut — 74% , Massachusetts — 73%, New York — 79%, and Washington — 77%.

   The National Popular Vote bill has passed 29 state legislative chambers, in 19 small, medium-small, medium, and large states, including one house in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oregon, and both houses in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The bill has been enacted by Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington. These five states possess 61 electoral votes — 23% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.

   See http://www.NationalPopularVote.com