Is Your State About to Trash the Electoral College?

The measure was introduced and supported by Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Dianne Feinstein of California, and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who’s also a 2020 presidential hopeful.

Other Democratic presidential candidates that support the measure include Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California, and Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, along with Beto O'Rourke, of Texas, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro.

The move didn’t go unnoticed.

“Republicans given amazing election slogan,” Security Studies Group president and frequent Fox News contributor Jim Hanson observed. "'Vote Democrat if you'd like to be ruled by California & New York.'"

The Associated Press reported that in 2016, even though Clinton took the overall popular vote, she only won 487 of America’s 3,113 counties, as compared to President Donald Trump’s 2,626 counties, 84.4 percent.

But constitutional amendments are messy, tedious, time-consuming, and nearly impossible to pull off. A number of states have instead banded together in a blood pact to make the Electoral College worthless — and their numbers are increasing.

Delaware became the 13th state to violate its voters’ trust by joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. It will throw its electoral votes in with whichever presidential candidate wins the popular vote — no matter how its electorate votes.

Because it requires 270 electoral votes to win a presidential election, the law won’t be triggered until a sufficient number of states comprising at least 270 pass similar laws.

In addition to Delaware, both chambers of the New Mexico legislature approved a similar measure and they sent it to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who’s expected to sign it into law. It will give the nationwide effort another five votes.

Thus far, the states making up the compact represent 184 votes — 86 shy of their goal — 81 shy if you throw in New Mexico.

The 13 states plus the District of Columbia that have signed on to this harebrained scheme are all Democratic controlled.

Eight other states representing another 72 electoral votes have passed the measure in one legislative chamber: They are Arkansas, Arizona, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Of those, the Republican-controlled Arizona House passed it 40–16; the Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate approved it 28–18.

In addition, Florida and Ohio, two swing states that presidential candidates of each major party consider a “must win,” are considering similar measures.

In Florida, Democratic state Rep. Joe Geller introduced HB 949: The Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. If passed, Florida’s 29 electoral votes would go to the popular winner.

Ohio is moving the proposal up a notch. It’s bypassing the legislature and considering making it a state constitutional provision to be decided by the voters. Ohio has 18 electoral votes.

Trump took both states on 2016. Had Florida and Ohio’s electoral votes gone to Clinton despite the mandate of their voters, Clinton would have been declared the ultimate winner, and the voters in both states would have felt cheated in that event.

New Mexico’s approval of the measure last month didn’t come without a fight from Republicans.

“I do not want to be a colony of California,” argued GOP Sen. William Sharer, and who would, given California’s $1.5 trillion debt, exceeding that of most countries of the world, yet with little to show for it.

Killing the Electoral College, like granting felons, 16-year-olds, and non-citizens access to the voting booth, is about attaining unprincipled political power, not adherence to political principles.

Ignore the constitutional amendment noise coming from the Senate. Pay attention to the man behind the curtain — pay attention to what your own state legislature is doing.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He’s also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. To read more of his reports - Click Here.