# Maryland's idea to give all electoral votes to the popular winner **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 11, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylands-idea-to-give-all-electoral-votes-to-the-popular-winner/771530 "2016-11-11T19:39:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylands-idea-to-give-all-electoral-votes-to-the-popular-winner/771530/1 "2016-11-11T19:39:01Z")
A friend just shared this 2007 story: [Maryland sidesteps electoral college](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18053715/ns/politics/t/maryland-sidesteps-electoral-college/#.WCYX2S0rJph) Basically, they passed a law that all the state’s electoral votes must be cast for whomever wins the national popular vote. But it will only take effect when states representing over half the total electoral votes pass similar measures. It looks to me like it is a no-amendment method to convert our presidential election to a pure popular vote. If every state joins in, the entire college would end up voting for one candidate. Does anyone know if this idea has gotten any movement in other states? Anyone have opinions on the idea? I think it’s not a bad idea, except that low-population states are unlikely to join in, and some states could keep joining in and opting out repeatedly after some elections don’t go their way. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylands-idea-to-give-all-electoral-votes-to-the-popular-winner/771530/2 "2016-11-11T19:42:32Z")
[National Popular Vote Interstate Compact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact) Current signatories are California, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylands-idea-to-give-all-electoral-votes-to-the-popular-winner/771530/3 "2016-11-11T19:44:47Z")
The biggest problem I see is, what happens if the vote is extremely close nationally (say within 1000 votes), but not in any of the states. Would there be a way to even have a recount? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylands-idea-to-give-all-electoral-votes-to-the-popular-winner/771530/4 "2016-11-11T19:47:59Z")
Yes, it has. [National Popular Vote Interstate Compact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact) And it doesn’t require every state to agree. Just enough states to total 270 or more electoral votes. Edit - ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylands-idea-to-give-all-electoral-votes-to-the-popular-winner/771530/5 "2016-11-11T19:49:28Z")
This has been discussed in the other “Is it time to reconsider the Electoral College” thread. > **[National Popular Vote Interstate Compact](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact)** > > Each square in the cartogram represents one electoral vote. > > The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all their electoral votes to whichever presidential ticket wins the overall popular vote in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact is designed to ensure that the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide is elected president, and it would come into effect only when it would... It’s in a number of states now. A couple iirc even passed it with Republican legislatures. 10 have it, 2 pending. Eta: ninja’d!