A national movement aimed at sidelining the Electoral College has drawn criticism from Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and leaders of both political parties in the state.
Iowa awards its six electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the most votes in the state, but under a plan being pushed in television and newspaper ads statewide, the state’s electoral votes would be pledged to the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide in November 2012.
Calling this plan “deeply flawed,” Branstad said Iowa’s first-in-the nation influence would be “diminished” because presidential hopefuls would focus on mega-population centers and cities with large media markets, instead of practicing retail politics and answering Iowans’ tough questions.
