Election 2020: National Popular Vote

Every election that occurs in this country is decided by popular vote, except one: the presidency. Instead, the presidency is decided by the electoral college, which allots a certain number of votes to each state based on population. To win the presidential seat, a candidate needs 270 of the 538 electoral votes. Colorado has nine.

The electoral college was, and has been, hotly debated over time. From the 1787 Constitutional Convention, to a bi-partisan push against the electoral college in 1969, to the newest National Popular Vote (NPV) Compact starting in 2006, the presidential voting process has been questioned.

The NPV Compact is an agreement among 15 states and Washington, D.C. to award all of their electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote from the general election. It is not an abolishment of the electoral college, but rather a modification.

Colorado passed the senate bill in support of the NPV in 2019, and it was signed into law by Gov. Polis. However, the Colorado Constitution allows for the right of referendum, which means that a statewide vote can be required to approve a law already passed.

Opponents of the law, who organized under the banner of Protect Colorado's Vote, submitted a petition with more than the required number of signatures to place the issue on the ballot. Implementation of the bill will require a majority of all Coloradoans to approve it this election season.

"The [presidential] candidates currently focus on just a small number of competitive states and overlook Colorado along with more than 40 other states during their campaigns," said State Senator Michael Foote, who sponsored the bill. "The candidates will have to appeal to all Coloradans and Americans in all parts of the country to win... It harms our democracy to have Presidential candidates only care about winning in a small number of competitive states."

The issue of targeting presidential campaigns toward certain states has been a long-standing concern. While it seems that the electoral college is a bipartisan issue today, that hasn't always been the case.

In the 1970s, liberal senators from traditionally Democratic northern states argued against a NPV. saying that it would weaken the influence of Jewish and African American communities in their states. While today's arguments against the law, largely from more conservative groups, have made similar claims, saying that a NPV would mean that densely populated states like California and New York would overpower the rest of the country.

"But I'd say that California isn't a 100% blue state, just as Texas isn't 100% red," countered Boulder County League of Women Voters co-leader Holly Monkman. "Instead of votes being dropped at the state line, I see more power with mobilizing."

She, and others like Jessie Koerner, another member of the Colorado league, believe that the electoral system promotes the ideas that votes "don't matter." If a Republican voter was living in a historically Democratic state, they may not be motivated to cast their ballot; and the same stands for a Democratic voter living in a historically Republican state. They argue that a NPV would instead incentivize more people to actually turn out at the polls.

Not only does a NPV have the potential to affect the national presidential election, but also the state and local elections as well. The presidential election is arguably the most visible election-there are numerous reports consistently showing that voter turnout is higher with it than any other, like the midterms-however, if more people turn out to vote, it's possible that down-ballot election turnouts could increase as well.

Even if Coloradoans do vote to confirm the NPV Compact, it likely won't be until at least 2024 that the country sees it take effect. At present, 196 electoral votes are part of the agreement--74 more votes must join. If and when those 74 other electoral votes are added, the American voting system would change.

The Secretary of State's Office puts out lists of groups both in favor and in opposition to various ballot measures. More information can be found here.

For information about the one Colorado group opposed to the measure, please visit: protectcoloradosvote.org

For information about Proposition 113 and the NPV overall, please visit: nationalpopularvote.com