Yesterday I posted the information for our “Protect Michigan Votes” briefing in Redford, MI. After cross-posting on www.LibertyLive.org, one commenter asked why Save Our States—a group based in Olympia, WA—cares what happens to Michigan’s electoral votes? There are three reasons (in addition to my being a native Michigander, of course). First, Michigan citizens and...
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As we’ve pointed out before, Michigan has made it onto the NPV radar. Legislators are being lobbied to ignore the will of Michigan voters and cast all 17 of Michigan’s electoral votes for the national popular vote winner—regardless of who wins in Michigan. Next week, Save Our States is presenting a citizens’ briefing in...
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Even in states where Democrats control the legislature and governor’s office, National Popular Vote often spends a great deal of money to win one or two Republican supporters. This is smart politics for two reasons. First, it’s hard for anyone to believe that changes to the “rules of the game” are fair if only...
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Last week AB 751’s express trip from introduction on February 15 to a hearing on February 17 caused a stir in the Wisconsin papers and blogosphere. While Save Our States Director Trent England was on the ground there, I jumped into the cyber world to see how Wisconsin voters were responding to the bill....
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A big thanks to host Jim Schneider and the crew at Crosstalk radio for today’s discussion of the Electoral College versus National Popular Vote. It was my pleasure to be on the program and to talk with so many listeners from around the country. You can visit the Crosstalk website for a description of...
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Last week was a lousy one for California-based National Popular Vote. After hiring six lobbyists and spending $80,000 lobbying in Madison, Wisconsin, they got Assembly Elections Committee Chairman Jeff Smith to schedule the bill for a hearing with less than two day’s public notice. And NPV’s lobbyists had convinced three Republicans to join the...
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As I walked through the Wisconsin State Capitol last week talking with legislators and legislative staff, I saw the effects of citizens in action. Throughout the day, radio stations were alerting listeners about the bill. Several legislative staff members told me that calls and emails were coming in strong–and strongly against NPV. The experience...
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Mid-morning on Tuesday, two emails alerted me that Wisconsin’s NPV bill (AB 751) had suddenly been introduced and scheduled for a hearing before the Assembly Elections Committee—on Wednesday afternoon, the very next day. Could I come to Madison, one legislator asked, and help educate citizens and other lawmakers and perhaps testify at the hearing?...
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Wisconsin has made it onto NPV’s list of targeted states. Dave Zweifel’s Madison.com article, “Using popular vote to elect president is the way to go,” parrots one of the National Popular Vote organization’s most often-used (and faulty) arguments: that because the Electoral College motivates candidates to campaign in some states (“swing states”) more than...
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The balance of power between state and national governments was one of the most contentious issues for the American Founders. The states were important historically, but also as a way to keep government close to the people and to divide government power into as many hands as practical in order to preserve liberty. At...
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Since 1991 Nebraska has cast three of its five electoral votes based on the winner in each of its three congressional districts. Every other state but Maine uses a state-wide winner-take-all system. Last month the Omaha World-Herald reported that some lawmakers want to repeal that law and return to winner-take-all. Rather than increasing the...
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