Whitney Tipton reports for the Daily Caller on the latest state that’s joined an effort to bypass the Electoral College.
Colorado would bring the number of states who have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) to 12, plus the District of Columbia. The NPVIC represents a coalition of states that have agreed to pool their presidential electoral votes for the majority candidate, regardless of individual state outcomes.
States have the constitutional right to manage the awarding of electoral votes in national elections, with many states opting for winner-take-all. If states with 270 electoral votes — or the number needed to elect a president — agree to award their votes to the majority-vote holder, it could effectively convert the presidential election to popular vote.
Colorado makes the total electoral votes represented by NPVIC states 181. To reach the required 270, they need a dozen or so more states to pass legislation. So far, no red states have embraced the movement.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder weighed in on the issue Tuesday on Twitter, supporting the reform measure and linking to a story from The Washington Post about Colorado’s pending inclusion.
New Mexico is poised to join next, with legislation having passed the state’s House and pending with its Democrat-controlled Senate.
