re: #21 freetoken

This faithless elector in Washington state has been brought up before, I believe, in some articles.

Regardless, it brings up the whole idea of the electoral college being completely outdated by now. Even if the US never goes to a true popular vote, we don’t need physical bodies in the electoral “college”. It can all be done electronically, with the SoS for each state simply pushing a button.

That brings up the idea that Constitutional Amendments are darn near impossible to pass now.

It also brings up again the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement being ushered into law in several states. (Interstate compacts are constitutional). The law as written and proposed to various states says that when 270 electoral votes worth of states enter the compact, they will all instruct their electors to vote the same way (for the person who wins the popular vote).

This makes small states (such as Wyoming or Nebraska) just as important as large states (such as California or New York) if the compact comes into force. All votes then become equal, and the states that are marginalised are the ones which are not in the compact. (Becoming an incentive to join it.)

Campaigning would then be across all states rather than just a few swing states. It would also render the Electoral College moot, since compact members would vote as a bloc for the popular vote winner.

Small and large states, Republican and Democratic controlled have joined the Compact, with more states considering the legislation.