Legislators introduce bill to elect president by national popular vote

Two-thirds of states, including Washington, ignored in 2008 presidential race

December 15, 2008

OLYMPIA – As the state’s Electoral College delegates met today at the capitol, two state legislators announced their intention to move the country towards electing the president by a national popular vote.

State Sen. Joe McDermott, D-West Seattle, and Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, will sponsor the legislation leading to a national popular vote for president and want to remind the state that the President of the United States is not elected by a direct vote of the people, but rather by 538 presidential electors.

The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  It’s so far been enacted by states possessing 50 electoral votes, 19 percent of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.  Those states are Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey. 

No changes to how the state allocates its presidential delegates would occur until the law is passed in states totaling to 270 electoral votes or more.

“The current system of electing the president is outdated and needs to be changed,” McDermott said.  “It should be very simple—the candidate receiving the most votes throughout the entire country should always win the presidential election.”  

Under the current system, two-thirds of the states are ignored by the presidential campaign, including Washington; a second-place candidate can win the Presidency; and every vote is not equal. 

Another shortcoming of the current system caused by the winner-take-all rule is that a candidate can win the Presidency without winning the most popular votes nationwide.

“The principle of one person, one vote is ingrained in the mind of every citizen,” Goodman said.  “Even when explained, it’s impossible, with a straight face, to explain why the Electoral College should trump this cherished principle. When we vote for president, we don’t vote as Washingtonians—we vote as Americans.”

According to a report recently released by FairVote (the electoral research group), 98 percent of the 2008 campaign events involving a presidential or vice-presidential candidate occurred in just 15 closely divided “battleground” states, and Washington was not one of those states.  Over half (57 percent) of the events were in just four states (Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia).  Similarly, 98 percent of ad spending took place in these 15 “battleground” states.  This means that two thirds of the states, including Washington, were ignored by the presidential campaigns.  Similarly, in 2004, candidates concentrated over two-thirds of their money and campaign visits in five states; over 80 percent in nine states; and over 99 percent of their money in 16 states.

The bill has passed 21 state legislative chambers, including one house in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, and Washington, and both houses in California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The bill has also been endorsed by the New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Sacramento Bee, Common Cause and Fair Vote.

 

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Contact:

Sen. Joe McDermott (360) 786-7667

Rep. Roger Goodman (425) 736-8009