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"Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors ..." -- U.S. Constitution
Endorsed by 2,110
State Legislators

In addition to 1,129 state legislative sponsors (shown above), 981 other legislators have cast recorded votes in favor of the National Popular Vote bill.
Tom Golisano

Entrepreneur Tom Golisano Endorses National Popular Vote

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Short Explanation
The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee a majority of the Electoral College to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The bill would reform the Electoral College so that the electoral vote in the Electoral College reflects the choice of the nation's voters for President of the United States.   more
9 Enactments
The National Popular Vote bill has been enacted into law in states possessing 132 electoral votes — 49% of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the legislation.

  • Maryland - 10 votes

  • Massachusetts - 11

  • Washington - 12 votes

  • Vermont - 3 votes

  • DC - 3 votes
  • Hawaii - 4 votes
  • New Jersey - 14 votes
  • Illinois - 20 votes
  • California - 55 votes

    • Organizations
    Common Cause
    League of Women Voters
    FairVote
    more endorsements

    Resources
  • National Conference of State Legislatures

    • Popular Vote Video
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    With forewords from:

    Advisory Board
    John Anderson (R-I–IL)
    Birch Bayh (D–IN)
    John Buchanan (R–AL)
    Tom Campbell (R–CA)
    Tom Downey (D–NY)
    D. Durenberger (R–MN)
    Jake Garn (R–UT)
    Champions
    Fred Thompson (R–TN)
    Jim Edgar (R–IL)
    Chet Culver (D–IA)
    What Do You Think
    How should we elect the President?
    The candidate who gets the most votes in all 50 states.
    The current Electoral College system.

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    Debates

    Sutherland Institute

    Dole Institute

    Cato Debate

    ACS/WCL Debate

    70% Public Support
    National - 72%
    Alaska - 70%
    Arizona - 67%
    Arkansas - 80%
    Arkansas - 74%
    California - 69%
    California - 70%
    Colorado - 68%
    Connecticut - 73%
    Connecticut - 74%
    Delaware - 75%
    Dist. of Columbia - 76%
    Florida - 78%
    Kentucky - 80%
    Idaho - 77%
    Iowa - 75%
    Maine - 77%
    Maine - 71%
    Massachusetts - 73%
    Michigan - 70%
    Michigan - 73%
    Minnesota 75%
    Mississippi - 77%
    Missouri - 66%
    Missouri - 70%
    Montana - 72%
    Nebraska - 74%
    Nevada - 72%
    New Hampshire - 69%
    New Mexico - 76%
    New York - 79%
    North Carolina - 74%
    Ohio - 70%
    Oklahoma - 81%
    Oregon - 76%
    Pennsylvania - 78%
    Rhode Island - 74%
    South Carolina - 71%
    South Dakota - 75%
    South Dakota - 71%
    Utah - 70%
    Vermont - 75%
    Virginia - 74%
    Washington - 77%
    Washington - 77%
    West Virgina - 81%
    Wisconsin - 71%
    Wyoming - 69%
    31 Houses Pass Bill
    Arkansas House
    California Senate
    California Assembly
    Colorado House
    Colorado Senate
    Connecticut House
    Delaware House
    Dist. of Columbia
    Hawaii House
    Hawaii Senate
    Illinois House
    Illinois Senate
    Maine Senate
    Maryland House
    Maryland Senate
    Massachusetts House
    Massachusetts Senate
    Michigan House
    Nevada Assembly
    New Jersey Assembly
    New Jersey Senate
    New Mexico House
    New York Senate
    North Carolina Senate
    Oregon House
    Rhode Island House
    Rhode Island Senate
    Vermont House
    Vermont Senate
    Washington House Washington Senate
    Responses to Myths about the National Popular Vote Plan


    Changing the way we elect the President is an important topic that deserves careful scrutiny. This document provides responses to concerns that have been raised during the course of the debate on the National Popular Vote bill.


    TABLE OF CONTENTS
    1
  • Myths about the U.S. Constitution
    • 2
  • Myths about Small States
    • 3
  • Myths about Recounts
    • 4
  • Myths about Faithless Electors
    • 5
  • Myth that "Wrong Winner" Elections Are Rare
    • 6
  • Myths about Proliferation of Candidates
    • 7
  • Myths about Big States and Big Cities
    • 8
  • Myths about Public's Desire for "State Identity"
    • 9
  • Myths about Post-Election Changes in the Rules
    • 10
  • Myths about Campaign Spending
    • 11
  • Myths about Federalism
    • 12
  • Myth about "a Republic versus a Democracy"
    • 13
  • Myths about "Mob Rule"
    • 14
  • Myth about an Incoming President's "Mandate"
    • 15
  • Myths about Interstate Compacts and Congressional Consent
    • 16
  • Myths about the District of Columbia
    • 17
  • Myths about the 14th Amendment
    • 18
  • Myths about the Voting Rights Act
    • 19
  • Myths about Administrative or Fiscal Impact
    • 20
  • Myths about the Mechanics of a National Popular Vote
    • 21
  • Myths about Congressional or Proportional Allocation of Electoral Votes
    • 22
  • Myth that the Electoral College Produces Good Presidents



    • DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS
    1
  • Myths about the Constitution
    • 1.1
  • MYTH: A federal constitutional amendment is required to change the method of electing the President.
    • 1.2
  • MYTH: The "traditional," "appropriate," and "normal" way of changing the method of electing the President is by means of a federal constitutional amendment.
    • 1.3
  • MYTH: The current system of electing the President was created and favored by the Founding Fathers.
    • 1.4
  • MYTH: Seeking change by means of a federal constitutional amendment shows respect for the Founding Fathers.
    • 1.5
  • MYTH: A federal constitutional amendment is the most democratic approach for considering a change in the manner of electing the President.
    • 1.6
  • MYTH: "Eleven colluding states" are trying to impose a national popular vote on the country.
    • 1.7
  • MYTH: A federal constitutional amendment is the superior way to change the system.
    • 1.8
  • MYTH: It is inappropriate for state legislatures and governors to consider changing the method of electing the President.
    • 1.9
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote bill is unconstitutional.
    • 2
  • Myths about Small States
    • 2.1
  • MYTH: The small states would be disadvantaged by a national popular vote.
    • 2.2
  • MYTH: The small states oppose a national popular vote.
    • 2.3
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote bill threatens the equal representation of the states in the U.S. Senate.
    • 2.4
  • MYTH: A national popular vote would undermine a partisan advantage in favor of the Republican Party in the small states.
    • 3
  • Myths about Recounts
    • 3.1
  • MYTH: A national popular vote would result in recount chaos
    • 3.2
  • MYTH: The current state-by-state winner-take-all system is a firewall that helpfully isolates recounts and disputes to particular states.
    • 3.3
  • MYTH: Resolution of a presidential election could be prolonged beyond the inauguration date because of recounts.
    • 3.4
  • MYTH: Conducting a recount would be a logistical impossibility under a national popular vote.
    • 3.5
  • MYTH: States would be put in the uncomfortable position of judging election returns from other states under a national popular vote.
    • 3.6
  • MYTH: Political fraud and mischief would be encouraged under a national popular vote.
    • 4
  • Myths about Faithless Electors
    • 4.1
  • MYTH: Faithless presidential electors would be a problem under the National Popular Vote compact.
    • 4.2
  • MYTH: It might be difficult to coerce presidential electors to vote for the nationwide winner.
    • 5
  • Myth that "Wrong Winner" Elections Are Rare
    • 5.1
  • MYTH: "Wrong Winner" elections are rare, and therefore not a problem.
    • 6
  • Myths about Proliferation of Candidates
    • 6.1
  • MYTH: A national popular vote would result in a proliferation of third-party candidates and fragmentation of the vote.
    • 6.2
  • MYTH: Under a national popular vote, the winner might receive only 20% of the vote.
    • 6.3
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote bill is defective because it does not require the winner to receive an absolute majority of the popular vote.
    • 6.4
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote bill is defective because it does not provide for a run-off.
    • 6.5
  • MYTH: A national popular vote would diminish moderation in political discourse.
    • 7
  • Myths about Big States and Big Cities
    • 7.1
  • MYTH: Only the big states will matter under a national popular vote.
    • 7.2
  • MYTH: Only the big cities, such as Los Angeles, will matter under a national popular vote.
    • 7.3
  • MYTH: Candidates would "fly over" most of the country under a national popular vote.
    • 7.4
  • MYTH: Candidates would only campaign in media markets, while ignoring the rest of the country.
    • 7.5
  • MYTH: Candidates would concentrate on major metropolitan media markets under a national popular vote.
    • 8
  • Myths about Public's Desire for "State Identity"
    • 8.1
  • MYTH: The public strongly desires to see electoral votes cast on a state-by-state basis because it provides a sense of "state identity".
    • 9
  • Myths about Post-Election Changes in the Rules
    • 9.1
  • MYTH: A Secretary of State might change a state's method of awarding electoral votes after the people vote in November, but before the Electoral College meets in December.
    • 9.2
  • MYTH: A state legislature might change a state's method of awarding electoral votes after the people vote in November, but before the Electoral College meets in December.
    • 10
  • Myths about Campaign Spending
    • 10.1
  • MYTH: Campaign spending would skyrocket if candidates had to campaign throughout the country.
    • 11
  • Myths about Federalism
    • 11.1
  • MYTH: Federalism will be undermined by a national popular vote.
    • 12
  • Myth about "a Republic versus a Democracy"
    • 12.1
  • MYTH: A national popular vote is contrary to the concept that the United States is a republic, not a democracy.
    • 13
  • Myths about "Mob Rule"
    • 13.1
  • MYTH: A national popular vote would be "mob rule" and a "popularity contest.
    • 13.2
  • MYTH: The Electoral College acts as a buffer and damper against popular passions.
    • 14
  • Myth about an Incoming President's "Mandate"
    • 14.1
  • MYTH: The current winner-take-all system gives an incoming President a "mandate" in the form of an exaggerated lead in the Electoral College.
    • 15
  • Myths about Interstate Compacts and Congressional Consent
    • 15.1
  • MYTH: Interstate compacts are exotic and "fishy."
    • 15.2
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote compact is defective because Congress did not give its consent prior to consideration of the compact by state legislatures.
    • 15.3
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote compact is defective because it fails to specifically mention Congress in its text.
    • 15.4
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote compact requires congressional consent to become effective.
    • 16
  • Myths about the District of Columbia
    • 16.1
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote bill would permit the District of Columbia to vote for President, even though it is not a state.
    • 17
  • Myths about the 14th Amendment
    • 17.1
  • MYTH: The Privileges and Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment precludes the National Popular Vote compact.
    • 17.2
  • MYTH: Section 2 of the 14th Amendment precludes the National Popular Vote compact.
    • 17.3
  • MYTH: The Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment precludes the National Popular Vote compact.
    • 17.4
  • MYTH: The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment precludes the National Popular Vote compact.
    • 18
  • Myths about the Voting Rights Act
    • 18.1
  • MYTH: Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act precludes the National Popular Vote compact.
    • 18.2
  • MYTH: Racial minorities would be disadvantaged by a national popular vote.
    • 19
  • Myths about Administrative or Fiscal Impact
    • 19.1
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote compact would be costly.
    • 19.2
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote compact would complicate the work of local election officials.
    • 19.3
  • MYTH: The National Popular Vote compact would complicate the work of the state's chief election official.
    • 20
  • Myths about the Mechanics of a National Popular Vote
    • 20.1
  • MYTH: There is no official count of the national popular vote.
    • 20.2
  • MYTH: A single state could frustrate the National Popular Vote compact by making its election returns a state secret.
    • 20.3
  • MYTH: The Electoral College provides a way to replace a President-Elect who dies, becomes disabled, or is revealed to be manifestly unsuitable after the people vote in November, but before the Electoral College meets in December.
    • 21
  • Myths about Congressional or Proportional Allocation of Electoral Votes
    • 21.1
  • MYTH: It would be better to allocate electoral votes by congressional district.
    • 21.2
  • MYTH: It would be better to allocate electoral votes proportionally.
    • 22
  • Myth that the Electoral College Produces Good Presidents
    • 22.1
  • MYTH: The Electoral College produces good Presidents.

    • Reform the Electoral College so that the electoral vote reflects the nationwide popular vote for President