The State of Maryland is about to pass the nation's first Electoral College bypass legislation. The Democratic Maryland General Assembly appears ready to pass a bill that will, at some point in the future, award all of the State's 10 electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote in the country, rather than the winner of the popular vote in the state.
The bill, which the Senate approved 29 to 17 yesterday, would award the state's 10 electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the most votes nationwide -- not statewide. A similar bill was approved yesterday by a House committee and is expected to come before the full chamber today, and O'Malley signaled his backing.
But the bill comes with a big caveat: It would not take effect until enough other states agree to do the same. "It's a long way from home," said Senate President Thomas Mike V. Miller Jr. (D-Calvert). "I don't know if it will happen in my lifetime."
What constitutes "enough other states"? I would argue it has to be "every other state," otherwise it is not a fair playing field. For example, let's say every state and the District of Columbia, except for Utah, passed this provision. Well, then the GOP gets a 4 electoral vote advantage for every election, for the GOP will win Utah even if they put up Satan as their candidate. Let's say that other GOP friendly states that haven't voted Democratic in my lifetime do the same thing. That electoral advantage could grow to 50 votes.
Right now, if signed into law by Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley, this bill will become active when states that cumulatively hold 270 electoral votes pass the measure. Hell, if New York, Texas, Florida, California, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania pass the measure, you have 219 Electoral votes right there.
In other words, our electoral process, as screwed up as it is right now, can become even more screwed up, and no one thought that was possible.
Supporters of the measure, being championed by a national nonprofit group, say deciding elections by popular vote would give candidates reason to campaign nationwide and not concentrate their efforts in "battleground" states, such as Florida and Ohio, that have dominated recent elections.
Moreover, the supporters argue, such a system would prevent rare occasions, such as President Bush's 2000 victory over Al Gore, in which a candidate who wins the popular vote does not prevail in the electoral college, a fixture in U.S. elections since the nation's founding.
I agree with the reasoning behind the bill, but I want all states to approve this before it becomes effective.
In other election news, Maryland is also about to move its primary, from the already early date of March 4 to February 12.