President Elected By National Popular Vote? AMEN

The day is getting nearer when the person who wins the most votes in a presidential election is the one who becomes president of the United States.

New York State added its considerable weight to that growing national movement in April when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation committing New York to give its 29 electoral votes for president to the candidate who receives the majority of the national popular vote.

New York joins nine other states and the District of Columbia that have agreed to award their electoral votes for president to the candidate who wins the most votes in the election. National popular vote preserves the Electoral College but ensures that every vote in every state will matter in every presidential election. Supporters are more than halfway to making national popular vote a reality.

Since it takes 270 electoral votes to win the presidency, the National Popular Vote laws would go into effect only if states accounting for 270 or more electoral votes agree to the new system.

For big states like New York and California, the incentive for making candidates fight for every vote is that they become relevant again. Right now, most presidential elections are fought in swing states. Now, candidates will speak directly to voters in every state.

Every vote really will count.