Minnesota Passes the National Popular Vote Compact!

We are celebrating the addition of another state joining the interstate compact that guarantees the winner of the national popular vote becomes president. Just like every other elected official in the United States, each vote counts toward the total to determine the winner.

Our celebration included a workshop in Orlando prior to the League of Women Voters bi-annual conference. Pat “Rosie” Rosenstiel joined us from Minnesota where he has been advocating for the National Popular vote since 2007! He inspired us by the tenacity that it takes to get this done. Rosie also praised our Floridians for NPV grassroots movement for getting the bill filed every year. He said it was important to show legislators in Minnesota that Florida has a movement!

With Minnesota’s 10 Electoral Votes, the National Popular Vote Compact totals 205 votes. The compact goes into effect when the 270 needed to elect the president is reached.

Until then we continue to educate and advocate legislators and voters. YOU can help by:

We have volunteer opportunities available on our Florida team. Click here for a list.
Use our easy one-click system to write to your local Florida legislator to express your support. This also works for any state legislator!
Request a speaker for your organization.
National text and call efforts when a new state is close to passing NPV. Volunteer here.
Donate here.
Please reach out to us! We look forward to engaging with you all!

Survey

We’d love to have you on our team! Please take our survey.

Upcoming NPV Speaking Engagements

Thursday, July 13, 2023 – presentation to LWV Space Coast in Melbourne.

Thursday, July 20, 2023 – presentation to Delray Democratic Club.

Thursday, September 21 – presentation to Democratic Club of Century Village West Palm Beach.
Contact Daniel Lishansky danlish@comcast.net for more information.

What’s happening in Florida with NPV?

At this writing, the Florida legislative session is wrapping up next week. There are parliamentary rules that cut off any committee discussions at 50 days. This means that if a bill isn’t already past the committee stage, it’s not likely to get any further movement. The legislature must pass a budget. Any priority bills are next in line. The other 3000+ sponsored bills are essentially dead for this session.
Floridians for NPV went to Tallahassee to meet with legislators! As a result we have six co-sponsors for our House Bill #53 and four co-sponsors for Senate Bill #860. Each year we get more support as we educate legislators.

Save the Date: Floridians for National Popular Vote will provide training at the Doubletree by Hilton in downtown Orlando June 2 in conjunction with the League of Women Voters Bi-Annual State Convention. You do not need to be a LWV member to attend the training on June 2. For more details contact Deb@CoachMaz.com.

LWV Bi-Annual State Convention is June 2 – 4, 2023 in Orlando. Complete information and registration materials are here.

What’s Happening Around the Country with NPV?

With a presidential election coming in 2024, state legislatures are primed to consider the National Popular Vote in advance. States that are most likely to consider NPV (with their electoral vote count) are: ME 4, PA 20, NC 15, MN 10, MI 16, AZ 11, NV 6.

It’s official: Florida is not going to be a swing state. The implications are huge: less campaigning + fewer ads + less influence = less money spent.
Nevada’s Assembly passed the NPV. Minnesota’s House also passed it. These first steps are encouraging, but they still need to clear their Senates and be signed by their governors. You can help by making phone calls and sending text messages. Sign up here.

Status of National Popular Vote         

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia (with 195 electoral votes) have already enacted the National Popular Vote Compact into law. This includes 4 small states (Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont), 8 medium-sized states (Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington), 3 big states (California, Illinois, New York), and the District of Columbia.

The National Popular Vote Compact will take effect when passed by states with an additional 75 electoral votes. The Compact has passed one legislative chamber in 9 additional states with another 88 electoral votes (Arkansas, Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, Virginia).

What’s the Press Say about NPV?

On April 19, 2023 Washington Post Opinion Columnist Jennifer Rubin Answers a reader’s question:

What structural changes do you have in mind for our democracy?

We can try to reach a threshold of states agreeing to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would essentially convert U.S. presidential elections to a popular voting system; do away with the Senate filibuster; expand the House of Representatives; give Washington D.C. representation in the House and Senate; and set Supreme Court term limits or expand the court to match the number of circuits (13, currently). In addition, we can end legislative gerrymandering; repair the Voting Rights Act to “fix” the Supreme Court rulings that gutted Sections 2 and 5 of the law; end single-judge divisions (which allows judge shopping); expand lower federal courts (to increase diversity); and expand voting access (e.g., regularize early voting, make Election day a holiday). Finally, we need a constitutional amendment or a Supreme Court reversal of Citizens United. Each reform would put more democracy back into our system.

Floridians for NPV Meet with Legislators in Tallahassee

Valerie Schultz (FL4NPV), FL Senator Lori Berman (NPV co-sponsor), Kathleen Crampton (FL4NPV)

Valerie Schultz (FL4NPV), FL Senator Geri Thompson (NPV co-sponsor), Kathleen Crampton (FL4NPV)

Valerie Schultz (FL4NPV), FL Rep. Michael Gottlieb (NPV sponsor), Kathleen Crampton (FL4NPV)

Valerie Schultz (FL4NPV), FL Rep Felicia Robinson (NPV co-sponsor), Kathleen Crampton (FL4NPV)

Valerie Schultz (FL4NPV), FL Rep Anna Eskamani (NPV co-sponsor), Kathleen Crampton (FL4NPV)

Kathleen Crampton (FL4NPV), FL Rep Dotie Joseph (NPV co-sponsor), Valerie Schultz (FL4NPV)

Florida State Senator Victor Torres Files National Popular Vote Bill to Make Every Vote Equal

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – On February 16, Florida State Senator Victor Torres (Senate District 25) introduced the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact “NPV” Bill (Senate Bill 860) to guarantee that the candidate with the most votes wins the U.S. presidency. State Representative Michael Gottlieb previously filed a companion bill (House Bill 53) in the State House of Representatives.

“Twice since 2000, we have elected a president who lost the popular vote, Bush in 2000 and Trump in 2016, highlighting the flaws in our current system. Florida’s legislature needs to pass this bill now,” said Torres. “The candidate who wins the most votes in all 50 states should be president.”

Florida along with 48 other states passed “winner-take-all” laws in the 1800s that awarded all of the state’s electoral votes to the winner of the state’s popular vote. The NPV bill would replace the winner-take-all law so that all of Florida’s 30 electoral votes would go to the candidate who wins the most total votes in all 50 states. This would mean all of Florida’s votes would count.

“Taking a conservative approach, the NPV bill does not eliminate the Electoral College, nor does it require a constitutional amendment,” said Torres. “It is passed by the states, which have plenary authority over how they award their electoral votes under Article 2 Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution.”

“Currently, presidential candidates campaign in just eight to ten battleground states, neglecting to visit the 40 or more other states,” said Kathleen Crampton, founder & chair of Floridians for National Popular Vote. “The result has been the election of five minority presidents and low turnout in states overlooked by candidates who focus their attention on fringe issues and voter groups. Enacting NPV would encourage candidates to campaign in all 50 states and focus on issues important to all voters, not just those of a minority on the right or left.”

“Most voters want to elect the president by popular vote,” said Crampton. “In a poll conducted last summer by the Pew Research Center, 63% of respondents, up from 55% the previous year, said they supported electing the president by popular vote.”

“To date, 15 states and the District of Columbia, containing a total of 195 electoral votes, have passed the legislation—that’s just 75 electoral votes shy of 270, which is the threshold that would activate the law,” said Crampton. “When we pass this bill in Florida with our 30 electoral votes, NPV will be over three quarters of the way to guaranteeing that the president is the winner of the National Popular Vote. It would honor the will of the people.”

Florida State Rep. Michael Gottlieb Files National Popular Vote Bill to Make Every Vote Equal

DAVIE, Fla. – February 6, 2023 –Florida State Representative Michael Gottlieb (House District 102) introduced the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact “NPV” Bill (House Bill 53) to guarantee that the candidate with the most votes wins the U.S. presidency. Senator Victor Torres (Senate District 15) intends to file a companion bill in the Senate.

“The 2020 election and the aftermath has again highlighted the flaws in our current system. We need the legislature to pass this bill now,” said Gottlieb. “All public officials are elected by a majority of the popular vote except two—the president and vice president,” said Gottlieb. “The candidate who wins the most votes in all 50 states should be president.”

Florida is among 48 states with winner-take-all laws passed in the 1800s that award all of the state’s electoral votes to the winner of the state’s popular vote. The NPV bill would replace the winner-take-all law in Florida so that all of the state’s 30 electoral votes would go to the candidate who wins the most total votes in all 50 states.

“Taking a conservative approach, the NPV bill does not eliminate the Electoral College, nor does it require a constitutional amendment,” said Gottlieb. “It is passed by the states, which have plenary authority over how they award their electoral votes under Article 2 Section 1 of the Constitution.”

“Currently, presidential candidates campaign in just eight to ten battleground states, neglecting to visit the other 40 or more states,” said Kathleen Crampton, Founder & Chair of Floridians for National Popular Vote. “The result has been the election of five minority presidents—George W. Bush and Donald Trump in the last two decades—and low turnout in states overlooked by candidates who focus their attention on fringe issues and voter groups. Enacting NPV would encourage candidates to campaign in all 50 states and to focus on issues important to all voters, not just those of a minority on the right or left.”

“Most voters want to elect the president by popular vote,” said Crampton. “In a national poll conducted last summer by the Pew Research Center, 63% of respondents, up from 55% the previous year, said they supported electing the president by popular vote.”

“To date, 15 states and the District of Columbia, containing a total of 195 electoral votes, have passed the legislation—that’s just 75 electoral votes shy of 270, which is the threshold that would activate the law,” said Crampton. “When we pass this bill in Florida with our 30 electoral votes, NPV will be three-fourths of the way to guaranteeing that the president is the winner of the National Popular Vote. It would honor the will of the people.”

Contact: Angie Wegner
angies@gmail.com
323-863-6014

Post Midterm Election Update

As Americans, we can be extremely proud of a record turnout in a midterm election. We are still nearly split into two distinctive factions. Democracy prevails because centrist Americans came out in droves to defeat extremists. Americans know a lie when they hear it. Even under economic pressure, Americans supported Democratic principles over their own wallets. With Democracy on the ballot, millions used their vote to affirm their belief in our Democratic system of one person, one vote.

Welcome to the September 2022 edition of In the News. We hope you continue to find interesting our sampling of news about the popular vote from various media outlets around the country. Email us with comments or questions at NPVLWVFL@gmail.com or visit us at FloridiansforNPV.com. And feel free to forward this to a friend or colleague.

Click here to read the entire addition of In the News.

League of Women Voters Makes National Popular Vote a “Moonshot” Priority

The League of Women Voters held its National Convention in Denver and virtually from June 23-25.

The National Popular Vote movement started in 2006 as a catalyst to ensure the candidate with the most votes nationally is elected President. By continuing to use the Electoral College, states decide to have their Electors cast their state votes for the candidate who wins in all 50 states, not the winner in their state.

The League of Women Voters has supported direct election of the president since 1970, and the National Popular Vote as an option since 2010.

In all 15 states and DC, the state Leagues have been instrumental in getting the bill passed. State Leagues in other jurisdictions have varying levels of commitment depending on local membership preferences and scope.

In Florida we have a devoted team of LWV from around the state who support NPV by speaking to civic groups and legislators to ensure reliable information is disseminated.

Our Florida leadership, including Kathleen Crampton, Anne Coppenhaver, Jan Lonsdale, Debra Chandler, organized a caucus and resolution for the entire convention to enshrine NPV into the LWV two-year plan “Making Democracy Work”.

“Electing the President by Popular Vote” was passed overwhelmingly by the delegates. We celebrate all the hard work and dedication of our League members from around the country who contributed to this year’s success.

Girls Scouts of Southeast Florida Honor Floridians for NPV Founder

Congratulations to Kathleen R. Crampton the 2022 Emerald Awards honoree in the Go-getter category!! She is passionate about ensuring every vote counts and that everyone has the right to vote, putting that passion into action by founding Floridians for the National Popular Vote. She understands how to motivate people and work with a team to get things done.

We are so proud of Kathleen and her state-wide team of devoted volunteers who tirelessly provide their time and energy to educate the public and Legislators about the National Popular Vote law.

Five of nine currently sitting Supreme Court justices were appointed by Presidents who lost the popular vote. How is that possible? The winner-take-all used in 48 states causes 38 states to be reliably Red or Blue while the remaining 12 battleground states determine the winner of the Electoral College vote.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Electoral Count Act. It’s been in the news lately. It passed in 1887, after the highly disputed election of 1876 and close elections in 1880 and 1884. It’s a complicated and ambiguous piece of legislation. It aims to enforce states’ rights to decide their presidential election laws and take the US Congress out of it, for the most part.