Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. (HB177)
Introduced By
Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria) with support from co-patron Del. Nancy Guy (D-Virginia Beach)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
✓ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. This bill incorporates HB 199. Read the Bill »
Outcome
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 12/26/2019 | Committee |
| 12/26/2019 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20100671D |
| 12/26/2019 | Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections |
| 01/13/2020 | Assigned P & E sub: Constitutional Amendments |
| 01/13/2020 | Impact statement from DPB (HB177) |
| 01/27/2020 | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 3-N) |
| 01/31/2020 | Failed to report (defeated) in Privileges and Elections (10-Y 12-N) (see vote tally) |
| 02/07/2020 | Reconsidered by Privileges and Elections |
| 02/07/2020 | Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (12-Y 9-N) (see vote tally) |
| 02/07/2020 | Committee substitute printed 20107262D-H1 |
| 02/07/2020 | Incorporates HB199 (Price) |
| 02/09/2020 | Read first time |
| 02/10/2020 | Read second time |
| 02/10/2020 | Committee substitute agreed to 20107262D-H1 |
| 02/10/2020 | Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB177H1 |
| 02/10/2020 | Impact statement from DPB (HB177H1) |
| 02/11/2020 | Read third time and passed House (51-Y 46-N) |
| 02/11/2020 | VOTE: Passage (51-Y 46-N) (see vote tally) |
| 02/12/2020 | Constitutional reading dispensed |
| 02/12/2020 | Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections |
| 02/25/2020 | Continued to 2021 in Privileges and Elections (14-Y 1-N) (see vote tally) |
Comments
Our nation is a republic, and not a pure democracy for a reason. Tyranny of the majority is a real thing. The electoral college, and the ability to overrule oppressive majorities, is an important safety mechanism. This bill is an abomination.
and be forever ruled by California and New York.................
and be forever ruled by California and New York
If this bill is passed, what purpose is there in even voting if you know the major cities are the ones who will make decisions, regardless of my input? This is a travesty against freedom and ones right to have a voice in ones government. The United States will no longer be united, for those outside the cities will be ostracized
So our votes as Virginians will be valueless, as our electors will vote for the candidate someone else voted for.
Disgusting!
This is the United States of America. We are a Republic. The Electoral College was implemented for a good reason. Why does a "public servant" propose a bill like this? Does he not like the system our founding fathers put in place? This bill is a disgrace and Sen. Adam Ebbin is a disgrace for proposing it.
The idea that large cities would determine a presidential election in the absence of the Electoral College is myth.
"Even if one makes the far-fetched assumption that a candidate could win 100% of the votes in the nation’s 50 biggest cities, that candidate would have won only 15% of the national popular vote."
"In a nationwide vote for President, a vote cast in a big city would be no more (or less) valuable or controlling than a vote cast in a suburb, an exurb, a small town, or a rural area."
"Under the National Popular Vote compact, every vote would be equal throughout the United States. A vote cast in a big state would be no more, or less, valuable or controlling than a vote cast anywhere else."
"When presidential candidates campaign to win the electoral votes of a closely divided battleground state, they campaign throughout the state. The big cities do not receive all the attention?much less control the outcome. Cleveland and Miami certainly do not receive all the attention when presidential candidates have campaigned in the closely divided battleground states of Ohio and Florida. Moreover, Cleveland and Miami manifestly do not control the statewide outcomes in Ohio and Florida, as evidenced by the outcome of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections in those states. The Democrats carried both Cleveland and Miami in 2000 and 2004, but the Republicans carried both states. In fact, Senator John Kerry won the five biggest cities in Ohio in 2004, but he did not win the state."
From National Popular Vote website.
Yes, these claims about cities are nonsense. This proposal has nothing to do with that. There is no relationship between the two.
"Candidates must solicit every potential voter in an election in which the winner is the candidate who receives the most popular votes. Every vote, regardless of location, would matter equally under a national popular vote."
New York and California votes would count the same as a vote in Virginia, results based on total votes throughout our country.
It's not a myth that this bill favors big states over small less populous because of the structure of the electoral college. Net it out. Va and the smaller states lose. Vote no.
This is unbelievable... shame Del. Mark Levine... shame
In the United States, roughly 25% of voters live in rural settings, about the same live in cities, and the remainder, about half, live in the suburbs. So let's dispense with this myth that NPV will hand over elections to city dwellers (which sounds more than vaguely racist to me).
As for what the Founding Fathers intended, the DAY BEFORE the EC was invented, they were going to have the Congress APPOINT the president. Try selling that idea today. Also, their purpose was to have the Electors deliberate and choose a president, rather than relying on any popular vote tallies in the states. So all you proponents of "republican" government, chew on that one, because that would be a purely republican method of choosing the Executive. Think it's a good idea? Fine - who were your Electors in 2016? Name them. Bet you can't.
Ronald N Quasebarth
How does a national popular vote "favors big states over small less populous because of the structure of the electoral college."?
What parts of this are incorrect?
"In a nationwide vote for President, a vote cast in a big city would be no more (or less) valuable or controlling than a vote cast in a suburb, an exurb, a small town, or a rural area."
"Under the National Popular Vote compact, every vote would be equal throughout the United States. A vote cast in a big state would be no more, or less, valuable or controlling than a vote cast anywhere else."
"Net it out." Thanks.
Isn't it past time we change our voting methods and make all states battle ground states? Isn't it also past time we stop this archaic method of voting that reflects our slave-owning, plantation building past?
We shouldn't be forced to comply with a process that has overruled the majority of voters by millions.
I want my vote to be counted equally, much of our history reflects a right to allow voting for those not owning land, for their gender and for their race. Why not move beyond that and count us all equally? It's time.