In this 360° Perspective we’re following up on the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
Our state joined when legislators passed the bill and Governor Jared Polis signed it into law.
As a refresher: The movement is wanting to allow some states to band together and work around the Electoral College. If enough join, all of their electoral votes would automatically go to the National Popular Vote winner in presidential elections.
It takes 270 Electoral Votes to win the White House, so they’re working to get enough states on board to trigger the win.
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So farthe compact says it has been enacted into law in 14 states and Washington D.C. That creates a total of 189 Electoral Votes, 81 short of the total needed.
Other state legislatures have or are considering it. Minnesota adjourned its session without passing theirs. In Nevada, it went to the Democratic governor’s desk but was vetoed. Oregon’s governor expected to sign it.
There is a challenge to the compact in our state. Those opposed say it takes away our voices, the Electoral College was designed to even the national playing field, so larger populations wouldn’t choose the president for everyone else.
Monument Mayor Don Wilson is part of a group petitioning the Secretary of State to seek voter approval in the form of a ballot question in 2020.
He says right now they have more than 100,000 signatures they’re working to validate. They have about 2,100 volunteer circulators with about 150,000 petitions in the field. They aim to get 200,000 signatures and have more than a hundred signing events planned.
The Secretary of State’s office says they need to turn in about 125,000 signatures by August 1 to get the referendum on the 2020 ballot.
Though the compact is law in Colorado right now, it wouldn’t take effect until 2022, so it would not impact next year’s election either way.
Here are some related stories we’ve done on the Electoral College:
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