Colorado passes resolution to award electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote

Colorado has passed Proposition 113, joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which is an agreement to give all of a state’s electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Colorado currently controls nine electoral votes.

The ballot measure passed with 52 percent of the vote, The Denver Post reports, with 88 percent of votes reported statewide.

Colorado first enacted the proposition into law in 2019, but the decision had to be confirmed by vote cast by Nov. 3. The Centennial State joins 14 other states and the District of Columbia in enacting the proposition into law. Other states that have joined the compact include California, Connecticut and Maryland. 

As the nonprofit group National Popular Vote reports, the jurisdictions that have enacted Proposition 113 into law account for 196 electoral votes. The proposition would go into effect when states that have a total number of 270 electoral votes pass such a measure.

Colorado state Sen. Michael Foote (D), a proponent of the bill, said on Wednesday, “The national popular vote is a very straightforward concept. One person should always equal one vote, and the presidential candidate who gets the most votes should win the election.”

Critics of the proposition claim that it will cause presidential candidates to only go to where major sources of votes can be found, such as heavily populated cities in California and New York. Supporters counter that states like Colorado are already ignored under the current Electoral College voting system.

“Coloradoʼs votes should be decided by Coloradans,” said former Colorado House Speaker Frank McNulty (R), a critic of the measure. “This is going to reduce Coloradoʼs clout, and itʼs going to reduce our influence on issues like transportation, water, health care and funding for our military bases.”

The push for a popular voting system first began when former President George W. Bush defeated Democratic candidate Al Gore in 2000, despite Gore winning the popular vote. As the Post reported, Maryland was the first state to join the proposal 13 years ago.