The Electoral College, the mechanism by which Americans indirectly select their presidents, is a profound violation of the democratic principle of one person, one vote. Twice in the five presidential elections of the 21st century, the Electoral College has awarded the presidency to the candidate who lost the popular vote. Additionally, studies have shown that the Electoral College amplifies the power of white voters by a substantial amount, based on the current distribution of voters of different ethnicities across the states.
The solution is not a Constitutional amendment—which is all but impossible to pass—but the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a number of states to award all their Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote. States enter the compact by passing enabling legislation through their state legislatures. (The Constitution gives states the authority to select and govern their electors.)
The Compact is triggered when states equaling at least 270 Electoral College votes enact the legislation. Currently, 10 states and the District of Columbia—representing 165 electoral votes—have passed the NPVIC: California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
Project Vote’s mission is to ensure that the electorate accurately represents the voice of the American people. As the current electoral college system violates this principal, minimizes the importance of voters in “non-competitive” states, and disproportionately disempowers people of color, Project Vote supports the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
To view the status of NPVIC legislation in your state, go to our Bill Tracking page, or click on the interactive map below.
To learn more about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, go to nationalpopularvote.com.
