Proposition 113 - National Popular Vote

Summary

Proposition 113 makes law and enters into the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact along with the other states who have entered the compact to elect the president of the United States by national popular vote. Among other provisions, Senate Bill 19-042 would ultimately require that all electoral college votes from Colorado be awarded to presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote provided that the total number of electoral college vote represented by the member states is greater than or equal to 270.

A "YES" vote on Proposition 113 is a vote to support Colorado joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement between member states to cast their electoral college votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote, regardless of who wins their individual state, provided all of the states in the compact represent at least 270 electoral college votes.

A "NO" vote on Proposition 113 is a vote to support the continuation of awarding Colorado's Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate that earns the most votes in Colorado.

Arguments

A national popular vote for President advances the democratic principle of one person, one vote, and ensures that votes in every community count equally. The national popular vote for President could also encourage candidates to campaign in a way that addresses the concerns of voters in all 50 states. The current system places too much importance on just a few competitive states where candidates focus almost all of their attention and campaign efforts. Candidates should reach out to voters wherever they live and take positions on issues that affect all parts of the country. The national popular vote gives all voters an equal impact on the outcome of the election, regardless of where they live or whether their state’s final vote count might be close., in support of Proposition 113 (Learn more)

The President of the United States should be the person who gets the most popular votes nationwide. Five times in our country’s history, including twice in the last 20 years, a candidate has won the presidential election despite losing the popular vote. A “yes” vote on Proposition 113 is an important step toward making sure this cannot happen in the future. Recent history demonstrates that when the results are close in even a few states, it is easy for the Electoral College vote to not reflect the national popular vote., in support of Proposition 113 (Learn more)

Colorado should cast its electoral votes for the candidate who obtains the most votes in Colorado. If the agreement goes into effect, Colorado’s presidential electors would be obligated to vote for whomever wins the national popular vote, even if that candidate did not win the majority of votes in the state. Further, a national popular vote may encourage candidates to focus their campaigns in large population centers where they can efficiently reach more voters. In this process, all Coloradans risk having the unique regional issues they care about lose out to the interests of a few large cities in a few large states., in opposition to Proposition 113 (Learn more)

This agreement attempts to sidestep the U.S. Constitution and could lead to disruptions in our electoral system. Rather than amend the U.S. Constitution to implement a true national popular vote, the compact relies on legal agreements between member states, which have different election requirements and policies, to ensure that their electors will vote the way the compact demands. In addition, in a close election run by 50 separate states, trying to determine who won the national popular vote could lead to recounts and litigation in every state, delaying results, causing confusion, and eroding confidence in our electoral system., in opposition to Proposition 113 (Learn more)

Measure Details