There seem to be a lot of questions and some misinformation about this bill, the votes that were taken, and why I supported it. While I am happy to answer emails or calls from constituents, it seems prudent to put some information out there, especially with the questions and accusations about its constitutionality.
Yes, our oath of office mandates that we uphold the Constitution. The national popular vote interstate compact does not offend or interface with the Constitution. The Constitution only lays out the method for giving states electoral college votes. It does not in any way mandate how any state awards its electoral votes. The so-called “winner take all” system that 48/50 states use today is what the NPV compact seeks to address, not the electoral college as laid out in the Constitution.
The reason that the NPV compact is squarely constitutional is that it does not deal with the actual electoral college at all; it is a state law dictating how each member of the compact will award its electors should the threshold of 270 electoral votes be met. Maine is a great example that winner-take-all is not in the constitution; we award two electors to the winner of the statewide vote and one elector per congressional district winner. Nebraska does the same. The Supreme Court has called this a “plenary power” regarding each state’s ability to award their electors how they see fit.
Contrary to the current rhetoric, the national popular vote gives all Mainers equal say in who their president is. For example, in 2020, Joe Biden won 53% of the statewide vote yet received 75% of our electors. That means that 22% of trump voters were completely disenfranchised because of our system. Under national popular vote, we will cast our ballots for a pool of 270 electors, which is enough to elect the president. Our votes will be counted equally and fairly. In doing so, we will ensure that every vote is equal, every voter is relevant, and the candidate with the most votes wins. As a proud American and Mainer, I fully stand behind voting to uphold those three principles.
Someday, when this compact is active, we will see a shift in presidential campaigns where they have to focus on the entire country, not just a select few battleground states that currently decide our presidential elections. Save for a few exceptions, Maine is largely ignored by the presidential campaigns. If you compare us to a state in Pennsylvania, we get scraps. Will Maine be the center of focus with NPV? No, but neither will the 11 battleground states that decided the 2020 election. The country will be the focus, and we will receive proportional attention. In fact, because of our media markets and the low cost of campaigning, we may receive more attention from campaigns because we are a cheaper place to compete in.
I hope this helps folks understand my vote and the bill and dispels some of the rhetoric out there.
