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This year, Maine made history when its House of Representatives voted to repeal the National Popular Vote interstate compact. In fact, the House voted twice to send the repeal to the Senate. But despite bipartisan support in both chambers for repeal, the Senate voted the measure down by one vote.

The action in Maine is a reminder that while NPV support comes almost exclusively from Democrats, there are also many Democrats who oppose it (including the organization called Democrats for the Electoral College). Their reasons include:

• the compact’s lack of recount or contest provisions,
• concerns about small plurality or regional winners, and
• the fact that other states could manipulate the compact.

Another problem with NPV, illustrated by Maine’s attempt to opt out, is the compact’s instability. Not only can state legislatures opt in or out, but a state judge could, at any point during an election, strike down the compact. If it had been in effect, a ruling like this would call into question the status of the compact nationwide.

NPV is a clever attempt to rig the Electoral College, forcing it to do something it was designed not to do. Common sense is enough to know this is not the way to change our national election process. 

Hopefully the next Maine Legislature will finish the job and get their state out of NPV.