There appears to be strong support for New York to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would effectively switch the presidential election from the Electoral College to a popular vote. The hold up: Sheldon Silver, because... well... for some reason. [NY Mag]
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Comments
If this concept were to become reality, just wait until the rare situation where the popular vote and electoral vote outcomes differ. This would very, very quickly unravel. One state after another would pull out as the legislatures selected electors based on their political majorities.
The solution is total replacement of the electoral college with either a straight popular vote or some other system. Trying to effect the same change without a Constitutional amendment is a waste of time and effort.
... said Reality on Jun 17, 2011 at 3:29 PM | link
@Reality. Agreed. It would also mean that if the national popular vote went red, all the blue states (they're all blue that support it on this map) would suddenly be voting solid red in the electoral college, effectively completely muting the voice of the state's voters in the national election. It wouldn't necessarily change the outcome of the election, but oh the weeping and gnashing of teeth that would run through state when it happened!
... said James on Jun 17, 2011 at 5:59 PM | link
A survey of 800 New York voters conducted on December 22-23, 2008 showed 79% overall support for a national popular vote for President.
By gender, support was 89% among women and 69% among men.
By age, support was 60% among 18-29 year olds, 74% among 30-45 year olds, 85% among 46-65 year olds, and 82% for those older than 65.
Support was 86% among Democrats, 66% among Republicans, 78% among Independence Party members (representing 8% of respondents), 50% among Conservative Party members (representing 3% of respondents), 100% among Working Families Party members (representing 2% of respondents), and 7% among Others (representing 7% of respondents).
http://nationalpopularvote.com/pages/polls.php#NY_2008DEC
Most voters don't care whether their presidential candidate wins or loses in their state . . . they care whether he/she wins the White House. Voters want to know, that even if they were on the losing side, their vote actually was directly and equally counted and mattered to their candidate. Most Americans consider the idea of the candidate with the most popular votes being declared a loser detestable. We don't allow this in any other election in our representative republic.
... said oldgulph on Jun 17, 2011 at 9:10 PM | link
A constitutional amendment could be stopped by states with as little as 3% of the U.S. population. Historically, virtually all of the major changes in the method of electing the President, including ending the requirement that only men who owned substantial property could vote and 48 current state-by-state winner-take-all laws, have come about by state legislative action, without federal constitutional amendments.
... said oldgulph on Jun 17, 2011 at 9:12 PM | link