Let’s all support the National Popular Vote

Twice in the last five elections, we have seen a candidate lose the popular vote and still move in to the White House. The National Popular Vote compact provides the most effective way to guarantee that the candidate who wins the popular vote will win the presidency, and I stand in support of it. The New Mexico Legislature has twice passed National Popular Vote bills. Next year, 2019, is the year we place a bill on the governor’s desk to sign.

The U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures control over awarding their electoral votes, and it’s time we exercise that right. By entering the National Popular Vote compact, states pledge to give all of their Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote nationwide. This agreement goes into effect once enacted by states collectively possessing enough electoral votes to elect a president (270 of 538). When I tell my fellow New Mexicans that their vote matters, it should apply to every single office, including the presidency. Learn more about the National Popular Vote at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Santa Fe. For details, visit www.lwvsfc.org. Sen. Mimi Stewart

D-Albuquerque