[Election Policy News]
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has just signed into law Oregon’s National Popular Vote bill…
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Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed legislation making her state the 15th to require that the White House is won by the popular vote…
Governor Kate Brown signed Oregon’s National Popular Vote bill into law on Wednesday.
With the governor’s approval, Oregon becomes the 15th state, along with the District of Columbia, to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would ensure 270 electoral votes and the presidency to the candidate who wins the most popular votes across all 50 states. With Oregon’s seven electoral votes, the Compact now has 196 of the 270 electoral votes necessary to become effective.
Earlier today, a similar bill passed the Maine House by a vote of 77-69. Under the state’s rules, the bill now returns to the Maine Senate for reconsideration. That body initially passed the measure on May 9. Maine’s four electoral votes would move the total for the Compact to 200.
“National Popular Vote significantly amplifies and empowers Oregon, and the voice of every Oregon voter in electing a president,” said John Koza, chairman of National Popular Vote. “Everyone’s vote will count directly towards their choice for president. This is the constitutionally conservative answer to the question of how we make every voter politically relevant in every presidential election while preserving the Electoral College.”
Eileen Reavey, lead Oregon consultant to National Popular Vote, noted that under the current system, Oregon voters have a direct voice in allocating just seven electoral votes. But under a National Popular Vote, a voter in Oregon would gain a direct voice in the selection of 270 electors. No Oregonian would have their vote canceled out because they did not vote with Oregon’s majority. Every voter in Oregon would have their vote counted directly toward their choice for president, and the presidential candidate who receives the most votes nationwide would become president.
Reavey added that a National Popular Vote would put an end to the system by which 12 so-called “battleground” states consume virtually all of the candidates’ time, money, and attention – leaving 38 states and some 215 million voters sitting on the political sidelines. She said that under a National Popular Vote, candidates would be compelled to go after every voter in every state – red, blue, or purple – urban, rural, or suburban. Some 3,357 Republican and Democratic legislators from across all 50 states and the District of Columbia have endorsed the National Popular Vote bill.
For more information go to www.nationalpopularvote.com
