California Democrats file competing ballot measure on Electoral college...

[SaveElmer]

Responding to a Republican initiative to change the state's winner-take-all system to awarding electoral votes by congressional district, California Democrats filed their own initiative yesterday -- this one to join the national popular vote interstate compact. The Los Angeles Times reports that one version contains "a clause stating that if both the Democratic- and Republican-backed initiatives make it onto the ballot, the one with the most votes would take precedence."

"If the competing measures make it onto the ballot in June or November, California could become a battleground over the electoral college... The state has more electoral votes than any other and more than 10% of the electoral college's 538."

The national popular vote compact requires states to award their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins the most actual votes nationally and takes effect only if states representing a majority of the electoral votes agree to the change. National popular vote legislation passed both houses of the California legislature in 2006, but was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2007/08/22/california_may_become_electoral_college_battleground.html

[ronnykmarshall]

1. Tee Hee!

[slackmaster]

2. Californians won't buy into NPV

Why relinquish power to forces outside of the state when we control more than 10% of the EC?

[jgraz]

4. Because it doesn't relinquish any power, it actually gains us some

Like all big states, California's impact on the presidential election is reduced by the extra weight given to small-population states. California votes would actually count for more if we had an NPV.

[slackmaster]

5. I don't buy into the theory that having politicians kiss our asses protects our interests

The whores will tell anyone whatever they want to hear in order to get elected.

[L. Coyote]

3. Time to fight back with bigger weapons. For example,

how about an open primary system. If the top two vote recipients are members of the same party, too bad for the other party.

Why do states provide free access to the final election for the political parties?
Why not let the People decide who gets to the General Election?

[necso]

6. To fully instantiate electing the president

by the popular vote, the Federal Constitution should be so amended.

Efforts on the state level are not enough.

[Totally Committed]

7. I agree!

If ever we needed a Constitutional Amendment for anything, it's to abolish the damned Electoral College. We are no longer "represented" by those we elect, so why not a direct vote?

TC

[slackmaster]

8. You are correct, but it's probably never going to happen

13 states can block an amendment. No matter how populations shift in the future, there will always be at least 13 states where people feel the EC works to their benefit.

[hedgehog]

10. Check out the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact before

you despair:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact


It's a way for high population states to do an end run around low population states that currently are over-represented by the Electoral college

Now, if we could figure out a way to balance the senate better.......

[erpowers]

9. 2004 Election Results By District

Does anyone on DU know where someone can get a district by district breakdown of the vote in 2004? I think this initative by the Republicans could backfire on them in another way. I assume the California Republicans are hoping that the Democrats from other states do not switch their law so that electoral college votes will be given by what district is won. It seems to me that if that initative went nationwide Republicans would still lose big time. I think in 2004 Bush was only able to win Texas by 1%-4%. That means instead of getting all of Texas's electoral college votes Bush would have only gotten between 1-10 more electoral votes than Kerry. If you strecth that across the country Kerry possiblly gets more electoral college votes. So, in my opinion the Republicans have more to lose either way.