ANNAPOLIS, Maryland: The U.S. electoral system puzzled the world in the 2000 presidential election, when Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote but lost to George W. Bush by losing in large states that counted more in the ultimate voting process.

On Tuesday, Maryland became the first U.S. state to approve a plan to sidestep that process by giving its electoral votes for president to the winner of the national popular vote instead of the candidate chosen by state voters.

Under the current Electoral College system, voters decide to support slates of "electors," who meet to choose the president. A candidate needs a majority of 270 out of 538 to be elected.

The new measure would award Maryland's 10 electoral votes to the national popular vote winner. However, the plan would only take effect if states representing a majority of the United States' 538 electoral votes decided to make the same change.

Other states are considering the change. National Popular Vote, a group that supports the change, said there are legislative sponsors for the idea in 47 states.

Hawaii's legislature recently passed a similar measure, sending it to Republican Governor Linda Lingle. California lawmakers adopted the measure last year, but Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it.

North Dakota and Montana rejected the idea earlier this year. Opponents say the change would hurt small rural states, where the percentage of the national vote would be even smaller than the three electoral votes they each have in the overall Electoral College.

State Senator Jamie Raskin, a law professor and sponsor of the Maryland plan, said Maryland is largely ignored by presidential candidates during campaigns because they assume the Democratic state will vote for the Democratic candidate.

"Going by the national popular vote will reawaken politics in every part of the country," Raskin said.