Critics of Electoral College push for popular vote compact – By Associated Press (Marketwatch) / Dec 12 2020
The U.S. is the only modern democracy with such a system. Most others elect their leader by national popular vote or the parliamentary system in which the winning party chooses the head of government
When the U.S. Electoral College meets Monday, its detractors hope it marks the beginning of the end of a system that twice this century has vaulted the loser of the popular vote to the presidency.
This year’s presidential race provides the latest motivation for change to supporters of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
While Democrat Joe Biden scored a decisive win over President Donald Trump in both the popular vote and Electoral College, the race came down to narrow margins in a handful of swing states.
If the results had turned out differently in some of those states, Trump could have lost the popular vote for the second election in a row but gained the presidency because of the Electoral College system.
“It’s an old, ugly mess that frankly should have been obviated some time ago,” said Virginia House of Delegates member Mark Levine, a Democrat who introduced a bill that would have Virginia sign on to the National Popular Vote movement.
