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When our legislators return to Augusta in January they will be voting on whether Maine will join with 15 other states and help ensure that all of our votes cast for a president actually count. By joining the national popular vote compact, Maine’s presidential electors would cast their ballots for the candidate who wins the most votes across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. There will be no more second-place winners.
The national popular vote compact does not change the Constitution or the Electoral College. The current “winner take all” method is not even mentioned in the Constitution. And the national popular vote is not a new idea. Maine’s very own Margaret Chase Smith co-sponsored a national popular vote bill in the 1960s!
As it stands now, a small number of Americans in “battleground” states determine the highest office in the country. Three quarters of Americans are essentially left out of the process, including Mainers. Candidates rarely campaign in states that aren’t considered “battlegrounds,” so they’re focused on speaking to the concerns of a minority of Americans.
We vote directly for governor, senators and congressional representatives. Let’s add president of the U.S. to that list!
Please reach out to your state senator and representative and encourage them to support LD 1578 in the upcoming legislative session. To find out who your representatives are, go to Maine.gov and click on the “Government” tab at the top of the page, then “Elections & Voting” and then “Maine Voter Information Lookup.” Contact information for your representative and senator will be listed based on your address.
Thank you for being part of the democratic process!
Mary Ann Larson
Bangor