Colorado voters approved a ballot measure to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement among a collection of states that would award their electoral votes to the presidential candidate that wins the national popular vote.
“Colorado’s votes should be decided by Coloradans,” said former Republican state House Speaker Frank McNulty, who opposed the measure. “This is going to reduce Colorado’s clout, and it’s going to reduce our influence on issues like transportation, water, health care, and funding for our military bases.”
A pro-national popular vote committee poured $4.4 million dollars into the Colorado proposal, dwarfing the $1.5 million raised by those in opposition. The measure passed with 52.2% support as of Wednesday evening. Opponents of the measure argue it’s a power grab by Democrats, stripping the vote for president away from Colorado voters.
“They were tricked by California billionaires, who spend millions of dollars to buy our votes for president,” McNulty said.
The measure, Proposition 113, was on the ballot due to an effort by conservatives to repeal the state law that made Colorado part of the compact. State Rep. Jeni Arndt, who was one of the sponsors of the popular vote bill in 2019, said the country should elect the president together.
“We all should elect the president together,” Arndt said. “When the presidential winner is the person who gets the most votes — we all win.”
State Sen. Michael Foote agrees, saying a popular vote should decide the country’s presidential election.
“The national popular vote is a very straightforward concept,” Foote said. “One person should always equal one vote, and the presidential candidate who gets the most votes should win the election.”
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact has gained renewed attention after President Trump lost the popular vote during the 2016 election, yet won enough states to secure an Electoral College victory.
Originally introduced after former President George W. Bush won the 2000 election in similar fashion, The Interstate Compact seeks to circumvent the Electoral College by building a coalition of states that would award their electoral votes to a presidential candidate that wins the national popular vote. It would only come into effect if the compact had enough votes to reach the 270 required to win the Electoral College. With Colorado joining the agreement, the compact now comprises 196 electoral votes.
Colorado joins Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Hawaii, Washington, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, Vermont, California, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico, and Oregon as members of the compact.
