OUR BROKEN SYSTEM CAN BE FIXED BY THE STATES
The U.S. Constitution gives the states exclusive power to choose the method of awarding their electoral votes.
The current state-by-state winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes was
not the Founding Fathers' choice. It was never debated at the Constitutional Convention, or mentioned in the
Federalist Papers. Winner-take-all was used by only three states in the nation's first presidential election in 1789 (and all three abandoned it by 1800).
more
15 states and the District of Columbia have already enacted National Popular Vote into law. Together, they have 195 of the 270 electoral votes needed to put the law into effect nationally. 3,529 state legislators around the country have endorsed National Popular Vote.
more
A majority of Republican senators and a majority of Democratic senators sponsored National Popular Vote as recently as 2018 in Michigan. The Michigan House approved it several years ago. However, both chambers have yet to approve this common-sense legislation.
more
Initiative petitions in Michigan are presented to the legislature. If both houses do not enact it, the voters -- not politicians -- will be able to vote on whether to enact National Popular Vote in a statewide election. If the voters approve, Michigan would join the growing group of states supporting a national popular vote for President.
Under the National Popular Vote law, everyone's vote throughout the country will be counted directly for that individual voter's choice for President. Your vote will no longer be cancelled out at the state level just because you voted differently than the majority in the state.
The National Popular Vote law will come into effect when enacted by states with a majority of the electoral votes (270 of 538).
Then, when the Electoral College meets in mid-December, the candidate getting the most popular votes in all 50 states and DC will get all the electoral votes from the enacting states. That is, the candidate receiving the most popular votes nationwide will get at least 270 electoral votes, and therefore become President.
Under the current system, presidential candidates have no reason to pay attention to voters in states where they are safely ahead or hopelessly behind. The fleeting nature of battleground status was illustrated by Michigan being ignored in 2 of the last 4 presidential elections (in 2008 and 2012 when Michigan was not closely divided).
Under National Popular Vote, every voter, in every state will be politically relevant in every presidential election.
LEARN MORE