Maine House Votes to Withdraw from National Popular Vote Compact
Maine could be the first state to withdraw from the compact aimed at abolishing the Electoral College.
In a stunning reversal of last year's misguided attempt to overthrow the Electoral College, Maine’s House of Representatives recently voted to withdraw the state from the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC). Three Democrats and two Independents joined Republicans in the vote for withdrawal.
The NPVIC is an agreement among member states and the District of Columbia to award their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote once states with a majority of electoral votes join. Democrats created it after George W. Bush lost the popular vote in 2000 but beat Al Gore in the Electoral College, assuming the popular vote would continue favoring Democrats, and the Electoral College would continue favoring Republicans. However, Democrats might reconsider this scheme, considering their party's increasing unpopularity.
If enough states had already joined the NPVIC in 2024, Maine would have been forced to give all its electoral votes to President Donald Trump, despite Kamala Harris winning the state—a point the bill's Republican sponsor emphasized on the House floor. Furthermore, in a hypothetical 2022 presidential election, Democrats lost the popular vote but would have likely won the Electoral College.
When Maine became the 17th state to join last year, it passed the House by a single vote. Full withdrawal still faces an uphill battle, as the state Senate voted 18–12 to join the compact last year, and Democrats hold a five-seat majority. But the House vote shows Maine is not a sure NPVIC member going forward.
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A Scheme to Undermine the American Republic
The NPVIC goes against the Founders' federalist vision for the country and presents a danger to national unity no matter which party it helps.
The Virginia Plan—adopted by the majority of Constitutional Convention delegates—would have allowed Congress to choose the president. Some like James Madison, George Mason, and James Wilson wanted the president elected by popular vote. They instituted the Electoral College as a fair compromise between states and the popular will. It doesn't undermine the separation of powers like the Virginia Plan and doesn't ignore state and regional interests.
Another benefit Electoral College offers is tempering national disunity, which threatens domestic tranquility and national security. The Electoral College compels presidential candidates to build broad coalitions across regions. Much of America's disunity and partisan gridlock owes to the Democrat Party becoming beholden to college-educated, urban elites who care little for the needs and concerns of their fellow Americans in rural areas. Choosing the president by popular vote would push the Republican Party also to become a more elitist urban-focused party, further alienating tens of millions of American from their own government.
Maine Democrats Owe It to Themselves and Their State to Withdraw from the NPVIC
Last year, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) allowed the state to enter the compact without her signature, showing only lukewarm acceptance. If the state's Senate votes to exit, she's unlikely to veto the legislature's decision. Hopefully, more Maine Democrats recognize that although abolishing the Electoral College might help their party win a couple extra presidential elections over the next century, it will severely limit their state's influence on national politics.
In Article II, Section I, the Constitution gives states the option to determine how they will appoint their presidential electors. Maine and Nebraska each appoint their electoral votes by Congressional district. This allows them to punch above their weight in presidential elections, despite neither being a swing state. This privilege would be stripped away if enough states joined the NPVIC and rendered the Electoral College void.
Additionally, the Electoral College forces candidates to engage with farmers and small-town residents who have concerns that differ sharply from those in New York City or Los Angeles. Without it, urban priorities would drown out key economic drivers in Maine like forestry and fishing.
Another point Maine Democrats should consider is that abolishing the Electoral College would disincentivize voter turnout in Maine. Why would people bother to vote if a handful of mega states determine whom Maine's gives its electoral votes?
By voting to withdraw from the NPVIC, Maine's House of Representatives stood up for the Founders' vision of American federalism and the state's voters and economic interests. The Electoral College, for all its seeming confusion, ensures smaller states have a say in presidential elections, forcing candidates to campaign beyond major cities and address the needs of the country's diverse regions. Gov. Mills’ previous ambivalence pressures the state's Senate to overturn a compact that would silence the state's voice in presidential elections. Even disregarding founding principles and Maine's interests, the 2022 and 2024 elections proved from a purely partisan standpoint that Democrats have as great a reason to oppose nullifying the Electoral College as Republicans.
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