LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – As Michigan Democrats prepare to give up their power in the state House after voters elected a Republican majority last week, they aren’t going down without taking up as many party priorities as possible.
House Bills 4156 and 4440 tackle one of those goals. If passed, those bills would enroll Michigan in the National Popular Vote (NPV) compact. Those bills would seek to elect the President of the United States by a popular vote rather than the constitutionally mandated electoral college.
The electoral college vs. the popular vote.
The electoral college distributes a certain number of “electors” to each state based on the number of that state’s representatives and senators in Congress. Michigan has 15 electoral votes tied to the presidential election. Whichever presidential candidate wins the most votes in Michigan is given the 15 electoral votes.
Nationally, the presidential candidate who earns at least 270 electoral votes is declared the winner.
The electoral college allows less populated states to have a voice in the national election that the popular vote doesn’t allow. In other words, large populations in places like New York City and Los Angeles would likely diminish smaller communities across the country under the popular vote. The popular vote bypasses the electoral college system and simply award the highest number of votes to the winning candidate.
What Michigan House Republicans are saying.
While Michigan Republicans languish in the lame duck period where Democrats still have majority power until the new year, they are sounding the alarm on these bills.
Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) said on X, “Once again, Michigan Democrats are bringing up a “popular vote” bill that weaken Michigan’s voice in favor of costal elites. I’m voting NO on any attempt to do an end-run on our constitution. Let’s kill this bad zombie bill for good.”
His colleague, Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caldonia) has voiced strong opposition to the bills and condemned them as a partisan maneuver.
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“This would strip Michigan of its electoral independence and marginalize the voices of Michigan voters who overwhelmingly supported President Trump and a Republican majority,” Rep. Rigas said, calling the bills an effort to override the voices of Michigan voters. .”These bills would strip away our state’s electoral power and surrender it to decisions made in larger states. This would fundamentally alter our electoral process without going through the constitutional amendment process.”
How would the NPV compact work?
The bills would establish a compact between different states that says Michigan’s electoral votes would go to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote regardless of how the state voted.
The Michigan House legislative director told Michigan News Source that a majority of states would have to sign on to the compact in order for it to be activated. Then the compact would force other legislatures to mandate electors to be tied to the popular vote.
Last week’s election saw now President-elect Donald Trump sweeping both the electoral college and the popular vote. The legislative director told Michigan News Source that Democrats in the state are bringing up the bills now to appear bipartisan.
State Senator Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) also clarified the significance of this move on X. “If states with a total of 270 electoral votes agree to this compact, it would change how we elect the president.” Runestad continued, “It means the big cities like New York, Chicago, LA for example, would wield undo and immense power in picking all future presidents. It also one of the reasons the Biden/Harris administration poured in excess of 30 million illegals into the country. Illegals get counted in the census for presidential, electoral votes!”
The vote is expected on Wednesday or Thursday.
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