Last night had a massive win for the Democrats up and down the ballot. Most people are focused on the federal level (Senate and Congress). However, there is a more important possibility with even greater consequences. Are you aware of the interstate popular vote compact?
Here is a quick entertaining explanation of how it works narrated by Robert Reich.
In a nutshell, it would use the popular vote to elect presidents and not the electoral college. Small states (and swing states) get the monopoly of power and attention during presidential elections. If the compact had been in place, GW Bush (2000) and Trump (2016) would have lost. The Supreme Court would have been much further to the left and the world would look very different.
States currently in the compact.
| State | EVs |
|---|---|
| Maryland | 10 |
| New Jersey | 14 |
| Illinois | 19 |
| Hawaii | 4 |
| Washington | 12 |
| Massachusetts | 11 |
| District of Columbia | 3 |
| Vermont | 3 |
| California | 54 |
| Rhode Island | 4 |
| New York | 28 |
| Connecticut | 7 |
| Colorado | 10 |
| Delaware | 3 |
| New Mexico | 5 |
| Oregon | 8 |
| Minnesota | 10 |
| Maine | 4 |
| Virginia | 13 |
| Total: 222 |
So we just need 68 more electoral votes for this to work. Last night Michigan (17), North Carolina (15), Wisconsin (12) and Georgia (16) ceded state legislature control to the democrats. That’s 60. Pennsylvania with their 19 electoral votes would be the final straw.
This issue is not glamorous or likely to be on CNN or Fox News, but democracy is often in the details, especially at the state level. This should be a real priority of progressive lobbying efforts. I am hopeful, but also a bit cynical. People are hard to mobilize towards things like this.
We shall see what happens.
Whatya think?