Right Opinion Time to Confront the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

By Paul S. Gardiner

It is truly time to effectively confront and oppose the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) that is nothing less than an attempted “end run” around the constitutionally established operations of the Electoral College embedded by America’s Founders in Article II of the U.S. Constitution. The NPVIC is largely funded and promoted by wealthy leftist donors primarily living in and around large cities on the West and East Coasts.

This article contends that because the Electoral College is an integral, inherent part of the Constitution, the proper and perhaps only valid legal course of action to change the operations of the college is through the amendment process allowed and stipulated in Article V of the Constitution.

For years, there have been discussions about the pros and cons of the Electoral College and the manner in which state electors cast votes in national elections. Some observers believe that the Founders exhibited true genius by designing the Electoral College to prevent regional candidates from dominating national elections. Today, this equates to preventing the constant election of presidential and vice-presidential candidates strongly supported by very wealthy donors. If this were to happen, a large number of less populated states, perhaps 30 or more, would seldom, if ever, have candidates elected that they strongly supported for president and vice president. This situation most definitely is not what the Founders intended for America’s national elections and constitutional republic.

Some observers believe that the voting process of the Electoral College is unfair. They say that the system is undemocratic because the number of electoral votes is not directly proportional to the population of the state. This gives smaller states a disproportionate influence in presidential elections. There are other arguments, pro and con, concerning the operations of the Electoral College and its impact on presidential elections.

Thus far, there has been minimal news coverage about the NPVIC (some say it has been “flying under the radar”) and what it is attempting to accomplish outside the actions that the organization could take and support using Article V of the Constitution. According to information on the NPVIC website, as of Aug. 20, 2019, there are a total of 196 electoral votes committed to the NPVIC by 15 states through legislation (the National Popular Vote Bill). Only 74 additional electoral votes are needed to meet the required threshold of 270 electoral votes to “spring” the NPVIC into effect, resulting in the election (continual election!) of national candidates primarily supported only by East and West Coast states.

It is hoped that the above information will serve as a big “red flag” of warning about the actions and intentions of the NPVIC. Appropriate actions soon need to be taken to counter the NPVIC and its plan to circumvent the intent of the Founders regarding the purpose and value of the Electoral College.

Paul S. Gardiner is a retired Army officer and avid lover of America and its unique form of representative, republican government. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Alabama, and the United States Army War College.