DAYS OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE NUMBERED?

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MARTHA BIONDI, IN THESE TIMES - A Stanford University computer scientist
named John Koza has formulated a compelling and pragmatic alternative to
the Electoral College. It's called National Popular Vote, and has been
hailed as "ingenious" by two New York Times editorials. In April,
Maryland became the first state to pass it into law. And several other
states, including Illinois and New Jersey, are likely to follow suit.

How NPV works is this: Instead of a state awarding its electors to the
top vote-getter in that state's winner- take-all presidential election,
the state would give its electoral votes to the winner of the national
popular vote. This would be perfectly legal because the U.S.
Constitution grants states the right to determine how to cast their
electoral votes, so no congressional or federal approval would be
required. NPV could go into effect nationwide as soon as enough states
pass it (enough states to tally 270 electoral votes-the magic number
needed to elect a president). In 2008, NPV bills are expected to be
introduced in all 50 states.

"We'll have it by 2012," says Robert Richie, executive director of the
reform group Fair Vote.

NPV is an agreement between the states to honor the wishes of a
plurality of American voters. (Koza came up with the idea from his
experience working on lotteries, where state compacts are common.). . .

In 2004, candidates spent 99 percent of campaign funding in only 16
states, leaving the rest of the country without a political voice.
Highly populated states like New York and California, and states in much
of the South, are considered "safe" and therefore offer little incentive
for candidates to pay attention to their residents.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3457/dropping_out_of_electoral_college/


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