CHARLESTON, September 30, 2009 — A survey of 800 West Virginia voters conducted on September 2930, 2009 showed 81% overall support for the idea that the President of the United States should be the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states.
Voters were asked: "How do you think we should elect the President: Should it be the candidate who gets the most votes in all 50 states, or the current Electoral College system?" By political affiliation, support for a national popular vote on the first question was 87% among Democrats, 75% among Republicans, and 73% among others. By gender, support was 87% among women and 73% among men. By age, support was 83% among 18-29 year olds, 80% among 30-45 year olds, 83% among 46-65 year olds, and 79% for those older than 65. By congressional district, support was 81% in the 1st district, 77% in the 2nd district, and 85% in the 3rd district. The survey was conducted by Public Policy Polling of North Carolina, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 1/2%.
On February 16, 2009, Delegates Joe Talbott, Mike Caputo and Nancy Peoples Guthrie the National Popular Vote bill (HB 2442).
On February 12, 2007, Senators Bailey, Plymale, Minard, Fanning, Bowman, Stollings, Hunter, Edgell and Prezioso the National Popular Vote bill (SB 482) (Status of SB 482) in the West Virginia 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).
