ST. PAUL, February 4, 2009 - The National Popular Vote bill (HF 512 Status of HF 512) was introduced in Minnesota by Representatives Steve Simon, Bob Gunther, Denny McNamara, Kurt Zellers, Frank Hornstein, John Benson, Roger Reinert, Phyllis Kahn, Sandra Masin, Larry Hosch, Jeff Hayden, Jerry Newton, Laura Brod, Greg Davids, Patti Fritz, Cy Thao, Bev Scalze, Terry Morrow, John Lesch, Carol McFarlane, and Leon Lillie. The bill (SF 446 Status of SF 446) was introduced in the Minnesota Senate by Senators Ann H. Rest, Dick Day, Sandra L. Pappas, John Marty, and Pat Pariseau.
A survey of 800 Minnesota voters conducted on January 15-16, 2009, showed 75% overall support for a national popular vote for President.
Minnesota poll results
On April 18, 2007, Minnesota State Representative Steve Simon introduced the National Popular Vote bill into Minnesota Legislature.
Under the current system of electing the President, a candidate may win a majority of the Electoral College without having a majority of the nationwide popular vote. The National Popular Vote bill would reform the Electoral College by guaranteeing the Presidency to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and the District of Columbia). The bill would enact the proposed interstate compact entitled the "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote." The compact would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the membership of the Electoral College (that is 270 of 538 electoral votes). Under the compact, all of the members of the Electoral College from all states belonging to the compact would be from the same political party as the winner of nationwide popular vote. Thus, the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and the District of Columbia) will be guaranteed a majority of the Electoral College, and hence the Presidency. Because the compact guarantees a majority of the Electoral College to the winner of most popular votes nationwide, the compact has the additional benefit of eliminating the possibility that a presidential election might be thrown into the U.S. House of Representatives (with each state casting one vote).
