Letter to the editor: National Popular Vote Law

There has been a lot of squabbling about whether the U.S. is a republic or a democracy. From what I understand, it has to do with the Electoral College. If you are a Republican, you want to keep the Electoral College and thus call the U.S. a republic. If you are are Democrat, you want to abolish the Electoral College and thus call the U.S. a democracy. Basically, the Electoral College gives Republicans the possibility to achieve minority rule as in George Bush’s and Donald Trump’s first terms. The caution to Republicans is that Trump just won the popular vote.

Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, the National Popular Vote Law will take effect when enacted by states with a majority of the electoral votes (270 of 538). Then the presidential candidate receiving the most popular votes in all 50 states and D.C. will get all the electoral votes from all the enacting states. That is, the candidate receiving the most popular votes nationwide will be guaranteed enough electoral votes to become president.

The National Popular Vote Compact has been enacted into law by 17 states and D.C., including five small states (Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont), nine medium-sized states (Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Washingon) and three big states (California, Illinois, New York). These jurisdictions have 209 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the law. The bill has passed one legislative chamber in seven states with 74 electoral votes (Arkansas, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, Virginia).

Lawrence Josephs

Penn Township, Westmoreland County