Democratic Wins in Five Swing States Revive Push for National Popular Vote Compact

Democrats won control of both legislative chambers and the governorship in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada in Tuesday's elections, potentially giving them the votes to enter those states in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Under the compact, member states award their electors to the winner of the national popular vote. States already in it hold 222 electoral votes. The five newly Democratic-run states add 61, for 283, above the 270 needed to win the presidency. The compact takes effect only once members hold a majority of electoral votes, and joining would not require a constitutional amendment. Axios reported it could be in place for the 2028 election. Obstacles remain: Michigan Democrats did not pass it during their 2023-2024 trifecta, Nevada's Democratic governor vetoed it in 2019, and the Constitution's Article 2 gives legislatures authority over how electors are appointed, which raises legal questions.

Townhall, a right-leaning outlet, runs a columnist's opinion piece. It contrasts Democrats' affordability campaign with a possible change to presidential elections, stresses that no amendment, congressional vote or national debate would be needed, and says the Electoral College is "48 votes away" from irrelevance. Left-leaning Mother Jones and The New Republic report the same arithmetic but treat it as a reform opportunity. Mother Jones leads with Gore's 2000 and Clinton's 2016 popular-vote losses and the 61 electoral votes from the five states. The New Republic is more cautious, citing the Michigan failure, the Nevada veto and constitutional questions. Both sides agree on the vote count and the lack of an amendment; they differ on whether this is democratic reform or an end-run around the Constitution. Truthout echoes the left's framing, while Axios adds the 2028 timeline.