Maryland indeed has shown great leadership in advancing the National Popular Vote plan to have elections where candidates must reach out to all Americans (“Maryland Takes the Lead,” editorial, April 14).

The current system does not benefit small-population states, however. While such states have fewer people per electoral vote than big states, there’s a reason for the conventional wisdom that the 2004 election came down to winning two of the big battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.

A gain of 5,000 votes in New Mexico might help swing five electoral votes in your favor. But that exact same vote gain in Florida could swing 25 electoral votes. When weighing where to focus resources, campaigns gravitate to the big swing states.

The current system’s real divide is between the declining number of swing states and the rest of the country. For spectator states, size doesn’t matter: their people’s interests are equally irrelevant to the presidential candidates.

Rob Richie, Executive Director

Fair Vote

Takoma Park, Md., April 14, 2007