Connecticut voted over the weekend to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which in theory would pool its Electoral College votes for the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.
If Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signs the legislation, Connecticut would be the 12th jurisdiction to enter the compact.
The legislation passed the Connecticut Senate 21-14 and the House 73-71.
The compact seeks to make the Electoral College obsolete by having states vow to cast all EC votes to the winner of the popular vote in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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The compact could impact presidential elections if it is able to sway 270 EC voters, the threshold to win the presidency, to cast ballots for the popular vote winner. However, the compact has only 172 EC votes, including the seven added by Connecticut’s participation in the pact.
Participating jurisdictions include California, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, all places where former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 elections.
To officially change any laws regarding the Electoral College, the U.S. Constitution would need to be amended, which is highly unlikely considering only 11 states subscribe to the compact and three-fourths of states must support amendments to the Constitution.
