What is the National Popular Vote Compact?

The National Popular Vote Compact (NPVC) is an agreement between states in the United States to determine the outcome of a presidential election based on the popular vote rather than the Electoral College. Under this agreement, each participating state promises to award its electoral votes to whichever candidate wins the most votes nationwide, rather than whichever candidate wins the most votes in that state. This agreement goes into effect when states representing a majority of the nation’s 538 electoral votes also join the compact. Currently, 15 states and the District of Columbia have signed on, representing a total of 196 electoral votes. Tennessee has not yet joined the NPVC. The idea behind the NPVC is to ensure that the outcome of a presidential election reflects the will of the majority of the nation, as determined by the popular vote. Supporters of the NPVC believe that the Electoral College is outdated and that it allows for the election results to be manipulated, as it is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote but lose the election due to the Electoral College. The compact provides a way for states to directly address this issue without needing to go through the difficult process of amending the U.S. Constitution.

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What is the National Popular Vote Compact?

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