- Maine participates in an interstate compact that delegates the presidential elector to the winner of the national popular vote.
- Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., have already joined the proposed agreement.
- Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said, “The person who receives the most votes should be president.” “To do otherwise seems contrary to the foundations of our democracy.”
Maine will become the latest state to join a multi-state effort to elect the president by popular vote, with the Democratic governor announcing Monday that he would pass the bill into law without his signature.
Under the proposed deal, each state would allocate all its electoral votes to whoever wins the national popular vote for president, regardless of how that state voted in the election.
Gov. Janet Mills said she understands there are many sides to this discussion. Opponents say abolishing the electoral college system could diminish the role of small states like Maine, while supporters point out that two of the past four presidents lost the national popular vote. However, he points out that they are still elected through the electoral system.
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Mills believes that without a ranked-choice voting system, “the person who receives the most votes should become president. To do otherwise is, on its face, contrary to the foundations of our democracy.” said.
Democratic Governor Janet Mills delivers the State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at the State Capitol in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bucati)
“Nonetheless, we recognize that there is merit on both sides of the debate, recognize that this measure has been the subject of public debate many times before in Maine, and acknowledge that this important national discussion continues.” “I want this to happen, and that’s why I’m authorizing this bill, which will become law without my signature,” the governor said in a statement.
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is on hold for now and will play no role in the upcoming November election.
The deal will only go into effect if backers secure the pledges of at least 270 state electors. According to the governor, 16 states and Washington, D.C., are participating in the agreement, and the addition of Maine brings the total to 209. Other hurdles include whether parliamentary approval is needed to implement the deal.
In Maine, one of only two states that divides its electorate under the current system, the debate ran along partisan lines, with Republicans united in opposition.
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In Maine, two of the four electoral votes go to the statewide presidential winner, and one vote goes to the winner of each district. The state’s electorate split for the first time in 2016, when Republican Donald Trump won a single elector in the northern, conservative 2nd Congressional District. Trump won electoral votes again in the failed 2020 presidential election.
