Page 5 - aruba-today-24dec-2016

A5
U.S. NEWS Saturday 24 december 2016

More states consider working around the Electoral College

sures have cleared several among other issues, professor at Ohio Northern
Republican-controlled leg- whether Republicans will University and author of a
islative chambers, includ- have the political desire book on the Electoral Col-
ing the Arizona House this between now and 2020 lege.
year. That bill did not come to push for national popu- “Certainly among Demo-
up for a vote in the GOP- lar vote compacts in their crats, yes,” Alexander said
controlled state Senate. states. The GOP now holds of the will to join the com-
The compact wouldn’t majorities in 33 legislatures. pact. “But a lot of the state
benefit any one party, said Recent polling shows sup- legislatures are controlled
Patrick Rosenstiel, a con- port for the Electoral Col- by Republicans, and there
sultant to National Popular lege among Republicans is way too much uncer-
Vote, the group that has is high following Trump’s tainty for them to take that
been pushing for the com- victory, said Robert Alex- issue on for their own politi-
pact since 2006. Rather, ander, a political science cal futures.”q
the Republican said, it will

Daniel Brezenoff, who started a Change.org petition demanding encourage candidates to
electors support the popular vote winner, arrives at the Texas campaign in every state,
Capitol in Austin, Texas on Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. Frustrated regardless of its politics,
after seeing another candidate secure the presidency without and make every voter rel-
winning the national popular vote, mostly Democratic lawmak- evant. “Right now we’ve
ers in several capitols want their states to join a movement to got a system where the
work around the Electoral College. battleground states have
(AP Photo/Tamir Kalifa)
all the political influence,”
SUSAN HAIGH Since 2006, 11 states have he said. Clinton is the fifth
Associated Press signed onto the compact, presidential candidate to
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — which require their Elec- win the popular vote and
Frustrated after seeing an- toral College voters to cast lose the Electoral College.
other candidate secure ballots for the national She received nearly 2.9
the presidency without win- popular vote winner. In million more votes than
ning the national popular theory it would take effect Trump, according to an
vote, mostly Democratic once it involves states rep- Associated Press analysis
lawmakers in several capi- resenting at least 270 elec- Tuesday after vote totals
tols want their states to join toral votes, the threshold to were certified, giving her
a 10-year-old movement to win the presidency. the largest popular vote
work around the Electoral When people vote for margin of any losing presi-
College. president, they are re- dential candidate and
In states including Con- ally choosing the electors bringing renewed calls to
necticut, Pennsylvania, from the political parties. abolish the Electoral Col-
Ohio and New Mexico, The college is made up of lege. She benefited from
legislators have said they 538 electors, which corre- solid wins in populous Cali-
plan to introduce legisla- sponds to the number of fornia and New York, while
tion that would require a state’s seats in the U.S. Trump narrowly won some
their state’s Electoral Col- Senate and House, plus battleground states.
lege voters cast ballots for the three votes allotted to U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, a
the presidential candidate Washington, D.C. California Democrat, said
who earns the most votes The states that have al- she will introduce legisla-
nationwide, regardless of ready passed legislation tion in January to do away
the statewide results. to join the group represent with the Electoral College
“Every vote in this country 165 electoral votes. Typi- through a constitutional
should have equal weight. cally reliably Democratic amendment, but it’s a
The Electoral College is a states, the list includes Cali- longshot. An amendment
relic of a bygone era, and fornia, Hawaii, Illinois, Mas- would have to pass Con-
we need to change this sachusetts, Maryland, New gress and then be ratified
system,” said Connecticut Jersey, New York, Rhode by three-fourths of the
state Sen. Mae Flexer, who Island, Vermont, Washing- states within seven years.
filed a bill with several fel- ton and D.C. — all where Supporters of the compact
low Democrats requiring Democrat Hillary Clinton are aiming to get enough
Connecticut to join the Na- defeated Republican Don- states on board before the
tional Popular Vote Inter- ald Trump. 2020 presidential election.
state Compact. Advocates note the mea- Some critics question,