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Defending the Electoral College and the Constitution since 2009
In their never-ending quest to remake American elections, two “progressive” reforms have come into conflict. Ranked-choice voting is one, with two states set to use it for presidential elections and a few others considering it. Meanwhile, many blue states have joined the National Popular Vote interstate compact in an attempt to nullify the Electoral College.
The problem is that ranked-choice voting makes nonsense of the popular vote plan.
For the last 17 years, the California-based National Popular Vote campaign has lobbied states to join its eponymous interstate compact. They claim there are no limits on what legislatures can do with state electoral votes. The compact would have states ignore their own voters and instead choose presidential electors based on the nationwide popular vote. The effort is led by a frustrated Al Gore elector.
The NPV compact takes effect if joined by states that control at least 270 electoral votes combined, and thus the outcome of presidential elections. So far, 16 states with 205 electoral votes have joined. While there is no prospect of it taking effect in 2024, the NPV campaign is promising to have the compact in place by 2028.