Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS

State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee

HB 1750


This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Adopting the interstate agreement for the election of the president of the United States by national popular vote.

Sponsors: Representatives McDermott, Hankins, Miloscia, Armstrong, Jarrett, Campbell, Appleton, Darneille, O'Brien, Hasegawa, Roberts, Ormsby and Chase.

Brief Summary of Bill
  • Authorizes the Governor to enter into an interstate agreement to allocate the state's electoral votes for President and Vice President of the United States based on the national popular vote winner.
  • Requires each member state to conduct a statewide popular election for President and Vice President of the United states and communicate the results of the election to other member states.
  • Requires presidential elector certifying officials to certify the appointment of the presidential electors of member states based on the national popular vote winner.

Hearing Date: 2/27/07

Staff: Alison Hellberg (786-7152).

Background:

The President and Vice President of the United States are not elected by direct popular vote. Instead, the President and Vice President are elected by a group of 538 people who are known individually as "presidential electors" and collectively as the "electoral college." Each political party nominates its own candidates for the position of presidential elector.
Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution provides that "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress."
In 48 states the presidential candidate receiving the most votes is awarded all of the states' electoral votes. Two states, Maine (since 1972) and Nebraska (since 1992), use a congressional district system for allocating electoral votes. The states' authority to determine the manner of awarding their electoral votes is absolute and exclusive.

The presidential electors cast their votes for President and Vice President in mid-December in meetings held in the 50 state capitals and the District of Columbia. A presidential or vice-presidential candidate must win a majority of the electoral votes in order to be elected to office ( 270 out of 538 electoral votes). The U.S. House of Representatives chooses the President and the U.S. Senate chooses the Vice President if there is no majority. It is possible to win the Presidency without winning the most popular votes nationwide. In fact, second-place candidates were elected in 2000, 1888, 1876, and 1824.

Legislation relating to the states' electoral votes has been introduced in 30 states and has sponsors but has yet to be introduced in 17 additional states. The nearly identical bills consist of an interstate agreement that all states' electoral votes be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes nationwide.

Summary of Bill:

The Governor is authorized to enter into an interstate agreement with any other states that have enacted, in substantially similar form, the "Interstate Agreement for the Election of the President of the United States by National Popular Vote." Each member state of this agreement must conduct a statewide popular election for President and Vice President of the United States.

Manner of Appointing Presidential Electors in Member States

Other Provisions

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have enacted this agreement in substantially the same form and the enactments by these states have taken effect in each state.