August, 04 2010, 11:43am EDT
Massachusetts Gov. Patrick to Sign Legislation That Will Reform Electoral College With National Popular Vote Plan
Advocates to hold telephone press briefing Wednesday at 1:30 to address common questions and misperceptions
BOSTON
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick today is scheduled to sign
into law legislation that would reform the electoral college system and
establish a national popular vote once enough states have signed
on. Advocates will hold a telephone press conference to answer questions
and dispel misperceptions about the plan at 1:30 today.
Massachusetts
is set to become the sixth state to join the interstate compact that
would guarantee the presidency to the presidential candidate who
receives the most popular votes in all 50 states, once a sufficient
number of states have passed identical laws. The Bay State will add 12 electoral votes to the compact, which has already been enacted by Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, bringing the total number to 73, or 27 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the proposal.
"Massachusetts has moved the country one step closer to abandoning an
outdated system that disenfranchises two-thirds of the country and four
times in our history has elected the second-place candidate," said
Pamela Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, a lead
advocate for the legislation in Massachusetts and elsewhere. "With a
national popular vote, all votes in every state will be equally
important."
Advocates will host a briefing to address common questions and
misperceptions of the proposal, as well as to highlight recent
successes. Recent inaccuracies in media coverage will also be addressed.
What: TelephonePress Briefing
Who: John Koza, National Popular Vote chairman, Pam Wilmot, executive director, Common Cause Massachusetts, Republican Minnesota state Rep. Laura Brod, national popular vote co-sponsor.
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 4
Time: 1:30 pm ET
Call-In Number: 1- (866) 961-9161
Background information: www.nationalpopularvote.com, www.commoncause.org, www.commoncause.org/MA/NPVEditMemo
To schedule an individual interview, contact: Patrick Rosensteil, 612-670-9465, Pam Wilmot 617-962-0034
Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
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This is a developing story... Please check back for possible updates...
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