Illinois to Bypass Electoral College

By Kevin Robinson in News on Apr 8, 2008 3:20PM

Yesterday Rod Blagojevich signed legislation that puts Illinois into the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPV). Illinois joins Maryland and New Jersey as the only three states have signed the legislation. Participating states agree to award their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. The agreement doesn't take effect until enough states join to total 270 electoral votes - the number needed to win the presidency. In the event of a tie, the current system would be used. NPV doesn't require a state to amend its constitution, but it does require that states join the compact by adopting it as a state law.

The General Assembly passed the legislation earlier this year, and it's no surprise that Blagojevich signed it into law - given his support of a constitutional amendment scrapping the electoral college during his time in congress. "By signing this law, we in Illinois are making it clear that we believe every voter has an equal voice in electing our nation's leaders," Blagojevich said in a statement. "I'm proud Illinois is leading the way by joining this landmark compact that will help shape our democracy in to (the) future."

Critics argue that NPV reduces the influence of smaller states in presidential races, and that a close vote would require a national recount, rather than one or two local recounts."This kind of legislation makes sense really for any state, but particularly for the two-thirds of the states that are left out of the presidential campaign," said John R. Koza, chairman of National Popular Vote Inc, the organization behind the proposed reform.

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