National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement under which participating states and Washington, D.C., would award all their presidential electors to the candidate who wins the nationwide popular vote. It would take effect only when its members collectively control at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes, enough to ensure the national vote winner also wins the Electoral College. Until then, states continue using their existing rules. As of September 2026, 18 states and D.C. had joined, representing 222 electoral votes - 41 percent of the total and 48 votes short of activation. The compact could lapse if membership fell below the threshold, and a state’s withdrawal after a specified July deadline would not take effect until after that election.

Supporters see the plan as a way to ensure the presidency goes to the candidate with the most votes nationwide, avoiding outcomes such as 2000 and 2016, when the Electoral College winner lost the popular vote. They also argue that winner-take-all state rules concentrate campaign attention on a small number of competitive states and weaken incentives to vote elsewhere. The compact is debated on constitutional and practical grounds: its proponents rely on state legislatures’ authority to determine how electors are appointed, while critics question whether Congress must approve an interstate agreement or whether a constitutional amendment is required. Broader concerns include the Electoral College’s protective role, state voting-law differences, and whether the arrangement would affect state influence or party advantage.