Elections have consequences. But a victory at the ballot box does not give politicians a blank check to fundamentally change how Americans elect their president. Public power rests on the people’s consent. Officials pursuing that transformation must explain what voters were asked to approve, whose influence would change, and why they are proceeding without constitutional amendment. Those obligations apply equally to Democrats and Republicans.
For two decades, advocates of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact have sought to make the nationwide popular vote determine the presidency through coordinated state legislation. Introduced in 2006, the initiative predates today’s political circumstances. Its consequences extend beyond either party’s expectations about the next election.
