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By Holly Wetzel
MIDLAND, Mich. — Michigan’s influence in the U.S. presidential election will disappear if two bills scheduled for votes in the state House this week become law. Lawmakers are considering legislation that would add Michigan to the National Popular Vote interstate compact.
Michigan could become the 18th state to join the compact, in which members pledge to award their electoral college votes to the candidate who wins the so-called national popular vote in a presidential election.
“While the National Popular Vote compact requires all states to cast their electoral votes to the same candidate, it does not require states to conduct federal elections according to the same procedures or ballot security standards,” said David Guenthner, vice president for government affairs at the Mackinac Center. “This shifts the power in presidential elections to large states like California and New York that are capable of producing the largest vote totals, while muffling the voices of smaller states like Michigan.”
The proposed compact violates the Constitution in significant ways, and it strips influence from individual voters in the state. Since the beginning of August, Michigan received more than 40 visits from the presidential candidates and their running mates. The state’s status as a swing state ensures that Michigan voters are not neglected and also generates a considerable amount of economic activity from campaign advertising.
If the National Popular Vote plan had been in place last week, the outcome of the election would not have changed. However, states that voted overwhelmingly for Kamala Harris, including California, Illinois and Colorado, would have seen their electoral votes go to Donald Trump.
“Rather than reducing the already shaky voter confidence in election results via the National Popular Vote interstate compact, Michigan should continue to award its electoral votes exclusively to the candidate who receives the most votes from Michigan residents,” Guenthner said.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for a free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
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