Election of the President by popular vote

On April 14th, the United States got one step closer to making sure that every person’s vote counts in every presidential election. With Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature, the Commonwealth of Virginia adopted the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The National Popular Vote law will take effect when approved by states with a majority of the electoral votes (270 of 538).

Then the presidential candidate with the most votes in all 50 states and DC will get all the electoral votes from the enacting states. The addition of 13 electoral votes for Virginia brings the total to 222 electoral votes; only 48 more needed. Our Constitution (Article II, Section 1) gives states exclusive control of the choice of awarding their electoral votes. It does not encourage, discourage, require, or prohibit the use of any particular way. Under the National Popular Vote law, no voter will have their vote cancelled out because their choice differed from the prevailing sentiment in their state. Instead, every voter’s vote will be added directly into the national count of the candidate chosen by that voter.

The basic premise is simple — every vote equal, add up all the votes, most votes wins. Simple, fair and the way every other election in our country is conducted. Since 1970 the League of Women Voters has affirmed that the popular election of the president is essential to representative government. North Carolina should enact the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact; tell your legislators.

Suzanne Fisher, President League of Women Voters Asheville-Buncombe County, Black Mountain

The LWV has a long history with election of the president by popular vote starting in 1970 and since 2010 has endorsed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact as a first step in the overall effort to abolish the Electoral College.

In 2024 the League announced its One Person/One Vote campaign.

“The One Person One Vote campaign aims to educate, engage, and activate the American people.”

To achieve a new system for electing future presidents by direct popular vote, we must use a multi-pronged approach to:

· Educate, engage, and activate communities to support a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College;
· Inform voters on how the Electoral Count Reform Act (ERCA) will impact the future elections; and
· Pass the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact by 2028.

“One Person One Vote will move our nation beyond the archaic Electoral College and toward true representation — a democracy powered by the people, for the people.”

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is a constitutionally conservative, state-based, nonpartisan approach begun in 2006 that retains the Electoral College and the power of the states to control how the President is elected. The compact will go into effect when states representing 270 electoral votes join via legislation. The compact will make every person’s vote equal throughout the United States and ensure that every vote, in every state, will be politically relevant in every presidential election. In the simplest terms with the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact our country will add up all the votes, treat every vote equally, most votes wins: simple, fair and the way every other election is held.

Our league established a National Popular Vote Action Team in 2021 and in 2024 renamed it the Election of the President by Popular Vote Action Team in 2024 to match that statewide EPPV Action Team.

Our goals are to:

· Educate league members and the public about the problems with the Electoral College and the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact as an interim measure through presentations, social media, letters to the editor, opinion pieces, and other means
· Encouraging the North Carolina General Assembly to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
· Work with other leagues through the state action team to share resources, ideas, and actions.

We are happy to provide a presentation in person or via Zoom to groups of any size. These can be a PowerPoint presentation or a more informal one. Contact Suzanne Fisher ([email protected]) if you are interested.

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact website has a wealth of information including answers to myths, suggestions for letters to the editor, videos, and an easy way to contact legislators.

House Bill 191

HB 191 “AN ACT TO ESTABLISH NORTH CAROLINA AS A MEMBER OF THE AGREEMENT AMONG THE STATES TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT BY NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE” was filed in the North Carolina General Assembly on February 23rd. Read about this landmark bill here.

Many thanks to sponsor Representative Kelly Alexander, Jr. and co-sponsors Representatives John Autry, Pricey Harrison, Abe Jones, Carolyn Logan, Marvin Lucas, Nasif Majeed, and Caleb Rudow – who represents part of Buncombe County!

Our National Popular Vote Action Team will be working to encourage more co-sponsors, have a similar bill filed in the Senate, have a hearing, and move the bill to a vote in both chambers. North Carolina joins over a dozen states that have bills filed in at least one legislative chamber this year.