By Hillary Chabot and LaToya Smith
Published September 20th 2007 in The Berkshire Eagle
BOSTON — Try telling former presidential candidate Al Gore every vote counts. Or a Massachusetts voter.
Presidential candidates stumped in Florida 61 times during the peak campaign season in 2004. Massachusetts? Twice.
Legislation filed by state Rep. Charles Murphy, D-Burlington, and supported by state Rep. Denis Guyer, D-Dalton, aims to bring back the popular vote.
"We're telling people their vote really does matter and is important, but some people in these states are like, 'Why?' " Guyer said.
If approved, Massachusetts would join an interstate compact that would commit the state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who gets the most votes across the country. The agreement wouldn't be triggered until enough states to represent a majority of the electoral college — or 270 votes — sign on.
Gore won the popular vote during the 2000 presidential race, but lost the election in a 5-4 electoral college favor. While many Democrats still bitter about the loss support the measure, Republicans, especially those in the Bay State, have backed it as well.
"For Republicans, it will give Massachusetts a bigger voice because
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our votes don't count, other than if you count Reagan, because the Democrats usually win the vote," said Republican political analyst Holly Robichaud.
Massachusetts' 12 electoral college votes currently go to whoever wins the majority of votes in the state. Under the compact, each state would award their electoral votes to whoever wins the majority of votes in the nation. Only Maryland has passed the measure so far.
Frank Talty, political science professor at University of Massachusetts Lowell, said the move makes sense.
"The result is that there would be a more national campaign versus a state campaign. Now presidential candidates only spend their time and money in states where they get the most electoral votes. This spreads out the campaign to all 50 states," Talty said.
Talty doesn't believe the law can be passed state by state.
Barry Fadem, president of the National Popular Vote said because the constitution allows the legislators to choose how their state electorates to make their vote, the measure would work.
Pam Wilmont, spokeswoman for Common Cause, believes the proposed legislation would hike voter turnout by 10 percent, especially in younger voters.
Secretary of State William Galvin is still studying the legislation, but the large amount of states required to be on board — 20 to 25 — makes him skeptical. In addition, swing states have no reason to change the status quo. Fadem disagrees. Voters feel the same way in battleground states as they do in a state that's not up for grabs.
"When voters see the screen on election night, they want to be able to say, 'My individual vote is in that total.' They want to see that whoever has the bigger number is the president," Fadem said.
Presidential candidates stumped in Florida 61 times during the peak campaign season in 2004. Massachusetts? Twice.
Legislation filed by state Rep. Charles Murphy, D-Burlington, and supported by state Rep. Denis Guyer, D-Dalton, aims to bring back the popular vote.
"We're telling people their vote really does matter and is important, but some people in these states are like, 'Why?' " Guyer said.
If approved, Massachusetts would join an interstate compact that would commit the state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who gets the most votes across the country. The agreement wouldn't be triggered until enough states to represent a majority of the electoral college — or 270 votes — sign on.
Gore won the popular vote during the 2000 presidential race, but lost the election in a 5-4 electoral college favor. While many Democrats still bitter about the loss support the measure, Republicans, especially those in the Bay State, have backed it as well.
"For Republicans, it will give Massachusetts a bigger voice because
Advertisement
our votes don't count, other than if you count Reagan, because the Democrats usually win the vote," said Republican political analyst Holly Robichaud.
Massachusetts' 12 electoral college votes currently go to whoever wins the majority of votes in the state. Under the compact, each state would award their electoral votes to whoever wins the majority of votes in the nation. Only Maryland has passed the measure so far.
Frank Talty, political science professor at University of Massachusetts Lowell, said the move makes sense.
"The result is that there would be a more national campaign versus a state campaign. Now presidential candidates only spend their time and money in states where they get the most electoral votes. This spreads out the campaign to all 50 states," Talty said.
Talty doesn't believe the law can be passed state by state.
Barry Fadem, president of the National Popular Vote said because the constitution allows the legislators to choose how their state electorates to make their vote, the measure would work.
Pam Wilmont, spokeswoman for Common Cause, believes the proposed legislation would hike voter turnout by 10 percent, especially in younger voters.
Secretary of State William Galvin is still studying the legislation, but the large amount of states required to be on board — 20 to 25 — makes him skeptical. In addition, swing states have no reason to change the status quo. Fadem disagrees. Voters feel the same way in battleground states as they do in a state that's not up for grabs.
"When voters see the screen on election night, they want to be able to say, 'My individual vote is in that total.' They want to see that whoever has the bigger number is the president," Fadem said.