US edges closer to popular vote deciding winner of presidential elections

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Tue 14 Apr 2026 13.12 EDT
Last modified on Tue 14 Apr 2026 14.08 EDT


A national majority vote for president is one step closer to reality after the Virginia governor, Abigail Spanberger, signed the national popular vote bill into law, joining an interstate compact with 17 other states and the District of Columbia. Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, states would assign their presidential electors to the winner of the popular vote, regardless of the results within the state.

The compact takes effect when states representing a majority of electoral votes – 270 of 538 – pass the legislation and thus would determine the winner of the presidential contest. With Virginia, the compact now has 222 electors. Every state that has so far enacted the compact has Democratic electoral majorities, including California, New York and Illinois. But legislation has been introduced in enough states to reach the 270-elector threshold, including swing states like Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The legislation relies on two provisions of the US constitution, which would face intense legal scrutiny if and when the compact comes into force. Article II, section 1 of the constitution authorizes each state to appoint electors “in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct”. The constitution does not require states to even have a vote for president, never mind delegating those electors as a state’s voters choose. The second provision, article I, section 10, clause 3 of the US constitution, governs interstate compacts. The text authorizes states to form legally binding agreements governing their relationships to one another.

The text requires states to gain the assent of Congress to enact a compact. But longstanding US supreme court precedent holds that states only require congressional approval for a compact if the agreement infringes on federal power. Supporters of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact argue that the delegation of electors is a state power, not a federal power. A Pew Research Center poll from 2024 showed that 63% of Americans would replace the electoral college with a national popular vote for president, with 35% opposing change.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/majority-vote-for-president-us-constitution

---

Link to National Popular Vote website - National Popular Vote

[c-rational]

1. K&R, thanks for posting.

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. The Roberts court would overturn it

Just one more reason to elect courageous Democrats who will expand the court and neutralize the MAGA majority.

[Wednesdays]

5. Unless it's a Constitutional amendment.

The Roberts court will strike even THAT down!

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. Well, not yet they haven't. Nt

[Wednesdays]

10. Yeah, because it's not "ripe" yet. nt

[Starfury]

22. They wouldn't need to strike it down.

They would just "reinterpret" it, like they did with Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

[Fiendish Thingy]

24. The Colorado ruling was unanimous

And it was correct - state courts cannot adjudicate disqualification for federal offices, only federal courts can.

Otherwise, Biden/Harris would have been removed from the ballot in several red states.

Not to mention Obama.

[Polybius]

19. Not just Roberts and the other 5...

It'll be struck down at minimum 7-2.

[Wednesdays]

3. "Supporters...argue that the delegation of electors is a state power, not federal..."

Well, good luck with that with this SCOTUS on the bench. Even when it's spelled out in the Constitution.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. There's no solutions like

concentrating the opportunity for rigging elections in the central counting mechanism of each state. We're going to do this with computer ballots? This will solidify the Senate like a sink drain. No one will listen to anyone other than the presidential candidates. Fewer people will vote, they will feel their vote doesn't count. You think my one vote will make a difference in 50 states? State specific issues will become irrelevant. The national parties will set policy - for everyone.

[Fiendish Thingy]

9. I don't follow your logic

In close elections, and we’ve had a few in just this century alone, the votes of small states could make quite a difference in who wins or loses the popular vote, and thus, the election.

[OldBaldy1701E]

27. So, to play devils advocate.

Then, why would the small states do that (or anything) when they are not being equally represented in the Congress, and therefore have no way to advocate for themselves within it?

It is not equality when the large states have all the leverage. Regardless of that fact, each state should have an equal say in our society.

If we don't want equality, then we need to stop touting it as a virtue of the nation and lying about our reverence of it.

[Fiendish Thingy]

30. Currently, small states have outsized power and representation

And in congress, that wouldn’t change.

Shifting to electing the president by popular vote would be a move towards equality- per person.

[OldBaldy1701E]

31. 'Outsized'?

It appears to be more 'equal footing' than 'outsized'.

Is that what bothers the large states so much?

Having to treat the smaller states as equals?

To be honest, I am fine with the President being elected solely by popular vote.

But, this constant desire to remove the equal footing that the smaller states have is getting a bit concerning. Creating a bias in the way Congress operates by letting the large states always win everything is no different than having a 'super majority' in both chambers. We don't seem to like the one. Why are we so enamored of the other?

There is also the fact that most of the 'small states' are on the north east coast. So, it would not just be a bias against certain states, it would be a bias against an entire section of the country.

But hey... what do I know?

[Fiendish Thingy]

33. The senate is the equalizer

Surely you must know that.

The house should be expanded to provide better per capita representation as well.

By population, the “small” states are not on the east coast, but in the rural heart land - WY, MT come to mind.

[eggplant]

13. This only affects the presidency, not congress.

Congressional votes are always state-by-state.

[R0ckyRac00n]

14. Not sure-

-what you are even talking about?

[Festivito]

32. Fun until OH, FL find extra 300,000 votes.

Then, what will you do? Write them a strongly worded letter.

[displacedvermoter]

6. Lots of the same Democrats who support

keeping the filibuster, also support the EC. I don't see it going away any time soon, filibuster will need to go first. Republicans would certainly filibuster to the death, they correctly fear the popular vote as demographics keep changing.

[Miguelito Loveless]

8. Thomas Court would overturn if passed

They are not going to allow a popular vote.

[Polybius]

21. It'll be at least a 7-2 decision

[Fiendish Thingy]

34. Not if there are 13 justices ruling

Yes, I know there are constitutional problems with certain interstate compacts, but an expanded court would reduce the odds of these laws being overturned.

[dave99]

11. The ANTI-SHITSTAIN Law/compact

it never won the popular vote totals

[republianmushroom]

12. ...popular vote deciding winner of presidential elections. as it should be.

[Bayard]

15. The EC is way overdue to die

The few should not be making decisions for the many.

[calimary]

16. Hey, BumRush...

I just wanted to let you know that this stuff you find, these articles and research pieces, they’re extremely helpful in keeping us plugged in to trends, personalities, and the news, local, regional, nationally, and world/planet-wide. VERY educational. It’s REALLY powerful ammo.

Makes us think.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Appreciate the comment

It keeps me up on what's going on, especially with 45 there.

[Karasu]

17. After 2000--and certainly after 2016--every Democrat should be on board with this by now. If the GOP wants to tie

themselves to the EC so badly, they can (and should) go down with it.

Sick and tired of keeping around this unpopular, antiquated, and incredibly anti-democratic system.

[The Wizard]

20. The EC invites shenanigans

Minority rule flies in the face of democratic principles as first envisioned by Aristotle.

[NGeorgian]

23. Georgia will never go for this...............

Solid red

[BumRushDaShow]

25. It's not as solld red as states like OK or ID

You saw that in 2020. It's just that the legislature is so gerrymandered that any changes would be difficult.

[Shrek]

26. Seems like there's a workaround for the compact issue

In the enabling legislation, just spell out the appointment of electors without mentioning any other state. That will satisfy Article II Section I without implicating the compact provision.

But I suspect this will fall apart if a state like California or New York ever required its electors to vote for a Republican. They'd probably repeal the legislation prior to the election if that was a likely outcome.

[Ruby the Liberal]

28. That video answered questions I didn't even know I had

I like this alot. Especially in both majority blue and red states where people may feel like they have no voice. It would also give swing state voters a break from the scorched earth left in the wake of some of these campaigns.

And the fact that this would have prevented both Bush 2000 and Trump 2016 is just a celestial bonus.

If we can't get rid of the EC, at least stop electing by land mass instead of voters.

[BumRushDaShow]

29. "at least stop electing by land mass instead of voters."

[returnee]

35. Of course, if the votes are not counted correctly....

…we’re still in the same boat.