Candidate with most votes nationwide should become President Imagine how different our nation would be if the winner of the national popular vote had become President in 2016 and 2000. The past cannot be changed, but you can change the future by helping to pass the National Popular Vote law. The current state-by-state winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes has enabled 5 of our 45 Presidents to come into office without winning the most popular votes nationwide. In 2016, Donald Trump became President even though Hillary Clinton won the national popular vote by 2,868,518 votes. Trump won because he carried Michigan by 11,000 votes, Wisconsin by 23,000 votes, and Pennsylvania by 44,000 votes. Each of these 78,000 votes was 36 times more important than the 2,868,518 votes cast in other states. In 2000, George W. Bush became President even though Al Gore won the national popular vote by 537,179 votes. Bush won because he carried Florida by 537 votes. Each of these 537 votes was 1,000 times more important than the 537,179 votes cast in other states. Similarly, in 1888, 1876, and 1824, the candidate who received the most popular votes did not become President. The National Popular Vote interstate compact will make every vote equal throughout the country. It will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Near-misses in the Electoral College have also been common. There have been six presidential elections between 1900 and 2016 in which a shift of a relatively small number of votes in one or two states would have elected a presidential candidate who lost the popular vote nationwide. In 2004, a shift of 59,393 in Ohio would have elected Kerry, even though George W. Bush led in the national popular vote by 3,319,608. In 1976, a shift of 5,559 in Ohio and 3,687 in Hawaii would have elected Ford, even though Carter led in the national popular vote by 1,682,970. In 1968, a shift of 10,245 in Missouri and 67,481 in Illinois would have elected Humphrey, even though Nixon led in the national popular vote by 510,645. In 1960, a shift of 4,430 in Illinois and 4,782 in South Carolina would have elected Nixon, even though Kennedy led in the national popular vote by 114,673. In 1948, a shift of 3,554 in Ohio and 8,933 in California would have elected Dewey, even though Truman led in the national popular vote by 2,135,570. In 1916, a shift of 1,711 in California would have elected Hughes, even though Wilson led in the national popular vote by 579,024. The shortcomings of the current system of electing the President stem from state “winner-take-all” laws that award all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate receiving the most popular votes in each state. Fortunately, the U.S. Constitution contains a built-in remedy for the shortcomings of the current system of electing the President. The U.S. Constitution (Article II) gives states exclusive control over awarding their electoral votes: “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors….” The winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes is not in the U.S. Constitution, was not debated at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and was not mentioned in the Federalist Papers. It is purely state law, and state laws may be changed the same way as they were originally enacted (namely by action of the state legislature). The National Popular Vote interstate compact is state legislation that replaces current winner-take-all laws. The compact takes effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes (270 out of 538). Under the compact, all the electoral votes of compacting states are awarded to the presidential candidate who gets the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact has been enacted by 15 states and the District of Columbia (together possessing 196 electoral votes), including 4 small states (DE, HI, RI, VT), 8 medium-sized states (CO, CT, MD, MA, NJ, NM, OR, WA), and 3 big states (CA, IL, NY). The compact will take effect when enacted by states with 74 more electoral votes (for a total of 270). The compact has already passed at least one legislative chamber in 9 additional states possessing 88 electoral votes -- most recently including the Virginia House in 2020 and Minnesota House in 2019. After the compact comes into effect, every voter in all 50 states and DC will acquire a direct vote in the choice of all of the presidential electors from all of the states that enacted the compact. The presidential candidate supported by the most voters in all 50 states and DC will thereby win a majority of the presidential electors in the Electoral College (at least 270), and therefore will become President. The vote of every voter in every state will count directly towards his or her choice for President. The National Popular Vote compact will make every voter in every state politically relevant in every presidential election. LEARN MORE National Popular Vote web site has 14 explanatory videos Answers to 131 myths Let the People Pick the President book by Jesse Wegman  Thank you. National Popular Vote | Box 1441, Los Altos, CA 94023 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!