Push To Bypass Electoral College With National Popular Vote Draws Sharp Constitutional Concerns

By Chuck DeVore | Commentary, The Federalist

Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill making Virginia the latest participant in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact last week, as the compact draws perilously close to upending our constitutional order. Every American who cherishes our republic should take notice.

For years, left-leaning pundits and politicians have campaigned to scrap the Electoral College, the method the founders gave us for choosing presidents. Their vehicle is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. With Virginia’s recent entry, the compact now includes 19 jurisdictions (18 states plus the District of Columbia) controlling 222 electoral votes. That falls short of the 270 needed to trigger the scheme, but the trajectory is clear and troubling.

Virginia’s action carries special irony. This is the state of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution. Yet in April 2026 Virginia has joined an effort that effectively rewrites a core feature of the document Madison helped design.

What the Compact Would Do

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, launched in 2006, would have states ignore their own voters and instead award all their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins the most votes nationwide. Proponents argue this would end the supposed unfairness of battleground-state focus and make every vote count equally.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE FEDERALIST

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