House Passes National Popular Vote Bill
When it comes to electing our nation's president, I believe every citizen should get one vote. But that's not what happens in our current electoral college system, where ballots cast by voters in states like Connecticut "count" less than votes cast by people in swing states.
That has to change. I voted to approve House Bill 5421, allowing Connecticut to adopt the Interstate Compact to Elect the President of the United States by National Popular Vote. The bill now goes to the Senate. If approved and signed by the governor, Connecticut would be the 11th state plus the District of Columbia to become a member.
Under the compact, participating states agree to allocate their electoral votes to the candidate who garners the most popular votes nationwide. The compact takes effect only when enough states sign on to guarantee that the national popular vote winner wins the presidency. This means that states with a combined total of 270 electoral votes – a majority of the Electoral College – must join the compact for it to take effect.
I closed out the House floor debate on this bill, and you can watch a clip of my remarks below: