Democrat Governor Janet Mills announced that Maine will join a multistate effort to elect the commander-in-chief by a popular voting system.
Sixteen blue states and Washington D.C. have signed onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which seeks to ensure that the presidential candidate who wins the nation’s popular vote will get into office.
Under the proposal, the every state would hand over their electoral votes to the popular candidate, regardless of how their individual state voted.
According to the Associated Press, compact will have 209 of the 270 electoral votes required to pass with the addition of Maine. However, even if the additional 61 votes come into play prior to November, the proposal will not go into effect in time for the upcoming presidential election.
Mills said that she recognizes both sides of the debate, but will still allow the compact to become Maine law without her signature.
“Some argue that this measure would dilute the influence of rural voters, although this measure ultimately would provide that each vote carries equal weight, whether the voter is a rural, urban or suburban resident and thus create greater equity among voters,” she remarked. “I see merit to arguments on both sides.”
Despite “recognizing that there is merit to both sides of the argument,” Gov. Mills wants the “nationwide debate to continue,” which is why she allowed it to become law.
“The person who wins the most votes should become the president,” she commented. “To do otherwise seemingly runs counter to the democratic foundations of our country.”
The state’s lawmakers were split along party lines about the decision as recently as February, when Maine Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee held a session to discuss the joining compact.
State Rep. Arthur L. Bell, who sponsored the bill to adopt the compact, believes that “the electoral college had outlived its usefulness,”and the principle of “one-person, one-vote” is the “future” of democracy.
“The National Popular Vote bill guarantees the presidency to the candidate who wins the most popular votes in all fifty states and ensures that every voter, in every state is politically relevant in every presidential election,” Bell commented. “This proposal benefits every voter of every party in our state and nation.”
State Sen. Jeff Timberlake disagrees entirely. “I think national popular vote is the wrong way for us to go. I think it gives New York, California, and Miami and these big cities all the votes,” he remarked.
“Why in the heck would you come to the state of Maine and campaign otherwise? So for those reasons, I’m going to support my forefathers and stay with them,” he added.
Ignoring the wisdom of the founding fathers who knew of the downfall of democracies. Which is why they set up a constitutional republic which has become a model for the rest of the world. One which is subject to destruction by the ignorant who fail to learn and respect history.
Of this ever passes, our country is finished. We will be electing socialists and muslums to every position
Compacts between States require the consent of Congress under the Constitution. I do not think these States have such consent!
And, yet, another attack on that pesky Constitution thing by the Democrats!
Someone needs to explain to that woman that we have a Federal Republic. The Constitution is still in effect until it is properly changed.
F’in Can’t Understand Normal Thinking. Just turned our vote over to Boston