What is the National Popular Vote Compact?

The National Popular Vote Compact is an agreement among a group of states, including Washington, to award their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in the United States as a whole. Under the compact, each state pledges to give its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who gets the most popular votes nationwide, regardless of who wins the most votes within the state. The compact won’t take effect until it’s approved by states possessing a majority of the 538 electoral votes. To date, 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed the compact, amounting to 196 electoral votes. This means that if 34 more states join the compact, it will be in effect. Washington will join the compact once enough states sign on. Supporters of the National Popular Vote Compact argue that it’s a fairer way of choosing a president, because it eliminates the chance that a candidate can win the electoral vote without winning the popular vote. Opponents argue that it could mean that some states are no longer competitive, as candidates only focus on winning the popular vote, ignoring states with smaller populations.

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What is the National Popular Vote Compact?

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