Testimony in FL by Prof Vik Amer: Bill Looks To Create ‘National Popular Vote,’ Lawmakers Hear From One Of The Idea’s Authors <read/listen>
In the hypothetical that all states agreed to the compact, Aram thinks some election reforms would be in order:
“One of the things that I think should be done, that would need to be done, after enough states sign onto this but before it goes into effect – there should be some standardization of the balloting process, and the counting process, so we can get a reliable national tally.”
That kind of overhaul would take time. For that reason and others, Aram wants his plan to have a delayed implementation.
“I’ve advocated for states to adopt this idea, but defer implementation until say 2032. So, Florida would adopt it today, but say ‘our adoption takes effect when you get to 270, but no earlier than 2032,” Amar said. “That would both give Congress time, in the meanwhile, to iron out any logistical wrinkles of the kind that you just mentioned. And it would also defuse the wrongheaded, but persistent, assumption that some people have that this is going to help one political party and hurt the other.”
Unfortunately, his recommendations do not go far enough to cure the problem he now recognizes. To implement the NPV there needs to be a Constitutional Amendment and reform of the Electoral Count Act. We would need a sufficient uniform system, uniform franchise, enforceable and enforced to make a national popular vote system that would truly make every vote equal and verifiable. For more see our latest testimony before the CT General Assembly <read>
