This letter is in response to the December 16, 2020 Alexandria Gazette article “Dropping Out of the Electoral College” about a bill before the General Assembly to have Virginia join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The bill does not, in fact, propose that Virginia drop out of the Electoral College, and it does not establish a national popular vote in lieu of the Electoral College. It proposes to change the way Virginia’s Electoral College votes are cast. The Electoral College itself would remain.
Under the rules of the compact, member states pledge to cast all of their electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote regardless of who wins the majority of votes in their own respective states.
Simply put, under the compact, Virginia’s Electoral College votes would be determined by voters in other states. That is a terrible idea. It would both disenfranchise Virginia voters and violate the will of Virginia’s voters.
This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue about whether or not Virginia’s voters will determine our Electoral College votes. Virginia politicians who support the compact are saying that Virginia voters don’t matter very much.
Linda App
Alexandria