Statement of Principles for Presidential Elections

Model Bill Info
Bill Title	Statement of Principles for Presidential Elections
Date Finalized	December 3. 2019
Type	Model Policy
Status	Final
Task Forces	Federalism and International Relations

Statement of Principles for Presidential Elections

Section 1. Preamble:

WHEREAS, the current Electoral College system respects states as the essential units in our compound republic, protecting their power and voice in presidential elections; and

WHEREAS, the current Electoral College system respects the separation and balance of power and authority between the States and the Federal government; and

WHEREAS, the current Electoral College system creates a needed balance between rural and urban interests and ensures that the winning candidate has support from multiple regions of the country; and

WHEREAS, the current Electoral College system ensures that each state’s electoral votes are awarded based on how that State’s citizens vote;

WHEREAS, the current Electoral College system best preserves our two-party system and prevents the fracture of America’s political structure; and

WHEREAS, the Founding Fathers rejected a national popular vote for President and instead created the Electoral College; and

WHEREAS, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact diminishes the importance of individual states in presidential elections, creates the potential for nationwide recounts, and opens the door to greater federal control; and

WHEREAS, under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, a state’s electoral votes could be awarded to a candidate opposed by the majority of that state’s citizens; and

WHEREAS, the constitutionality of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is doubtful because it appears to violate the text of the Compact Clause and the intent of the Electoral College clauses.

Section 2. THEREFORE, LET IT BE IT RESOLVED that ALEC supports the following principles in regard to presidential elections:

The current Electoral College system is the best way to elect the President of the United States;

State legislatures have power to determine how best to represent their own state in presidential elections through the Electoral College, but it is inappropriate and possibly unconstitutional for a legislature to give away its state’s representation to other states; and

A national popular vote would be the wrong way to elect the President because it would increase the chances of regionalism, small-plurality winners, nationwide recounts, and a federal takeover of election administration.