National Popular Vote and why its important?
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all their respective electoral votes to whichever presidential candidate wins the overall popular vote in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact is designed to ensure that the candidate who wins the most popular votes is elected president, and it will come into effect only when it will guarantee that outcome.As of June 2017, it has been adopted by ten states and the District of Columbia. Together, they have 165 electoral votes, which is 30.7% of the total Electoral College and 61.1% of the votes needed to give the compact legal force.
Given the importance of elections in the United States, why would do so many people choose not to vote? Why do some refuse to participate in elections when the officials and issues voted on have such strong influence on nearly every aspect of their lives?
Many argue that their vote really doesn’t count. Some say that they don’t know enough about the issues and think they shouldn’t vote. Others still say that they do not know where or how to vote or how to register. News stories about voter ID laws may deter some people from voting.
Hamilton, a participant in the Constitutional Convention, explained the arguments that prevailed in Federalist 68. The form of government given to us by the Founders is a republic not a democracy. Hamilton leaves little doubt as to the intention behind the Electoral College when he says that choosing electors “to form an intermediate body of electors, will be much less apt to convulse the community with any extraordinary or violent movements, than the choice of one who was himself to be the final object of the public wishes.” The election of the President was never intended to be a popularity contest.
The office of the President is the concentrated force of the executive branch. The Founders made special provisions to ensure that the election of the president was conducted differently. Until the 17th Amendment, United States Senators were also elected differently. Like the President, they were selected via intermediates not through direct election. The Founders clearly intended for the president to be chosen in the way they specified.
Making certain that every state “counts” is fundamental to federalism and thus to the Constitution. By filtering the popular will through the Electoral College the Founders erected a bulwark against the excesses of democracies and a support for the constitutional republic they designed.
Contribution article authored by Martin, Anneberg Classroom and wikipedia