The Nevada Senate passed a bill that would give the state’s Electoral College votes to the winner of the popular vote. Now the legislation will be sent to the desk of Gov. Steve Sisolak (D).
The state Senate passed the measure on a 12-8 vote on Tuesday, according to the CNN network.
If Sisolak signs the measure into law, Nevada would become the latest state to join the National Popular Vote interstate compact. This is an agreement among a number of states to give their Electoral College votes to whichever presidential candidate wins the popular vote.
Currently, 14 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to join the pact, which will only take effect if a number of states holding the majority of the Electoral College’s 538 electoral votes join the agreement.
The total is currently at 189 and Nevada’s six electoral votes would boost the number to 195, CNN reported.
Lawmakers in Maine passed a similar bill earlier this month and it currently waits to either be signed or vetoed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D).
There have only been five instances where a presidential candidate has been elected without winning the popular vote since the Electoral College was created in 1787.
It was in the most recent election that President Trump won office in the 2016 election after losing the popular vote to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. However, Trump won the election after he managed to secure 304 electoral votes.
Where do you stand on this controversial issue? Would you support changing the system so that the popular vote always carries the weight of the election? Let us know where you stand on this issue. We look forward to seeing your comments in the section just below this article.
Credit: The Hill