After much public debate, a Maine law has brought the country closer to having the popular vote determine the winner of national presidential elections — but it’s unlikely that will happen before November or even at all.
Earlier this week, Maine Gov. Janet Mills allowed a bill to become law without her signature that would take effect once the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is able to gather pledges for at least 270 electoral votes — the number of delegate votes needed to elect a president.
The movement has now gathered pledges from 17 states and Washington, D.C. — accounting for a total of 209 electoral votes.
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact seeks to guarantee that the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia wins the presidency.
When there are enough states pledging their popular votes to meet the 270 Electoral College vote threshold, all the votes in those states will be added up to a national count that determines the winner of the election. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact says that will give each vote equal weight regardless of where a voter lives.
