In the aftermath of a sweeping blue wave this midterm season, Democrats have been quick to float several ideas they hope to accomplish with their newfound victory. One of them is to fundamentally change the way the United States elects a president.
For decades, many Democrats have sought to have the presidency decided by the national popular vote rather than state-by-state Electoral College results. Tuesday’s election results may have brought that goal closer.
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which is already approved by 18 states and the District of Columbia, would require participating states to award their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner, regardless of which candidate wins their state. As of right now, the electoral votes from the states that have already signed amount to 222 votes. But the compact can only take effect once it reaches 270 votes — the same number a candidate needs to win the presidency.
The focus is now on the five states where Democrats secured control of the governor’s office and both legislative chambers: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Nevada. If these states join the compact, they would join the coalition and ...