Pennsylvania Democrats should think twice about National Popular Vote

As Pennsylvania voters head to the polls today, the possibility of the state joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) remains an important election issue that has received little public attention.

Under the NPVIC, participating states would award their electoral votes to the winner of the nationwide popular vote, regardless of which candidate their own voters support. The compact currently has 222 electoral votes, just 48 short of the 270 needed to take effect.

Abandoning the Electoral College would come at a significant political cost to Democrats, particularly minority communities whose votes help determine elections in competitive states like Pennsylvania.

In a new op-ed published by Broad + Liberty, Democrats for the Electoral College's Jasper Hendricks explains why preserving the Electoral College matters to Pennsylvania voters:

“Under the system we have now, Black voters in Philadelphia help decide who wins Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania often decides who wins the White House.”

A nationwide popular vote would diminish the political influence these communities have worked for generations to build. NPV also raises serious concerns about combining election results from states with different voting procedures and recount rules.

Pennsylvania Democrats deserve transparency about their lawmakers' intentions. A fundamental change to how the state awards its electoral votes deserves an open public debate, not a quiet legislative maneuver after Election Day.

Read the full op-ed at Broad + Liberty.