National Popular Vote
Updated Jan. 24, 2013
The National Popular Vote (NPV) movement emerged in late 2006 and began to gain some steam in 2007. NPV seeks to ensure that the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes nationwide is elected president. When a state passes legislation to join the National Popular Vote Compact, it pledges that all of that state's electoral votes will be given to whichever presidential candidate wins the popular vote nationwide. These bills will take effect only when states with a majority of the electoral votes have passed similar legislation. States with electoral votes totaling 270 of the 538 electoral votes would have to pass NPV bills before the compact kicks in and any state's bill could take effect. Currently, 132 electoral votes are pledged to the compact.
California Governor Jerry Brown signed a National Popular Vote bill in 2011, marking the third time the legislature had passed NPV in California; in 2006 and 2008, the bills were vetoed. Passage of the NPV in California appeared to give the movement big momentum, bringing along 55 votes and getting the compact nearly halfway toward taking effect. Just one other state -- Vermont -- joined the NPV compact in 2011, and no states joined in 2012. It's still early in the 2013 legislative session, and so far NPV legislation is pending in just seven states, and three of those are proposals to rescind participation in states that joined in earlier years.
State Action on National Popular Vote
Between 2006 and 2011, every state legislature in the nation considered a National Popular Vote bill. Eight states and the District of Columbia have enacted NPV bills, and governors in three states have vetoed NPV bills. In 12 states, an NPV bill has passed one chamber of the legislature.
Enacted
To date, eight states and the District of Columbia have passed NPV bills into law. Maryland and New Jersey passed laws in 2007, Hawaii and Illinois in 2008, Washington in 2009, Massachusetts and D.C. in 2010, and California and Vermont in 2011.
Vetoed
The California legislature passed NPV legislation in 2006 and 2008, but it was vetoed by the governor both times. An NPV bill was finally enacted in California this year. An NPV bill was vetoed in Hawaii in 2007, and the veto of a second NPV bill was eventually overridden by the Hawaii Legislature in 2008. Rhode Island and Vermont also saw vetoed bills in 2008.
Passed One Chamber
States where NPV legislation has passed one chamber of the legislature are:
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Arkansas (2009)
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Colorado (2009)
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Connecticut (2009)
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Delaware (2009 and 2011)
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Michigan (2008)
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Nevada (2009)
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New Mexico (2009)
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New York (2010 and 2011)
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North Carolina (2007)
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Oregon (2009)
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Rhode Island (2009 and 2011)
Rescinding Participation
Five of the states that have joined the NPV compact to date have seen legislation to withdraw them from the compact. Those states are Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington. To date, none of these bills has passed.
The Current Status of the National Popular Vote Compact
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State (Year enacted)
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Electoral Votes Pledged
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California (2011)
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55
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District of Columbia (2010)
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3
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Hawaii (2008)
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4
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Illinois (2008)
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20
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Maryland (2007)
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10
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Massachusetts (2010)
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11
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New Jersey (2007)
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14
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Vermont (2011)
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3
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Washington (2009)
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12
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TOTAL
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132
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Additional electoral votes required to take effect
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138
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Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, 2013
For More Information
Contact NCSL: Jennie Drage Bowser, 303-364-7700
NCSL's Database of Election Reform Legislation
National Popular Vote (advocacy group)
Information on the Electoral College: The Federal Register
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