Blue Wave Revives Push for a National Popular Vote Compact Ahead of 2028

Democrats came out of the midterms with full control of the governor’s office and both legislative chambers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, and that has put an old idea back on the table. A pact among states could make the winner of the nationwide vote the next president, ending a system that has sometimes handed the White House to the runner-up. Supporters say the plan is already moving, and lawmakers in Michigan and Wisconsin have said they want to act early in their next sessions.

How the Interstate Compact Reaches 270 Electoral Votes

Eighteen states and Washington, D.C., have signed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact over the past two decades, promising to give all their electoral votes to the ticket with the most votes across the country. Together they hold 222 electoral votes, which is not enough to trigger the deal because 270 are needed. Adding Pennsylvania with 19, Michigan with 15, Arizona with 11, Wisconsin with 10 and Nevada with 6 would lift the total to 283, assuming every state joins and the agreement survives legal challenges. Michigan Democrat Carrie Rheingans said the timing is right, while Wisconsin’s Kelda Roys said the issue would be an early priority.

Why the Electoral College Is Under Fire

Under the current system, a candidate wins by collecting 270 electoral votes, which are assigned state by state and match each state’s seats in Congress. In nearly every state the top vote getter takes all of them. Because of that, campaigns largely skip reliably red or blue states and spend their time in a handful of battlegrounds that could go either way.