National Popular Vote Signed into Law in Washington

Washington has become the fifth state to pass the national popular vote (NPV) compact when Gov. Gregoire signed the legislation on Tuesday. 61 electoral votes, 23% of the 270 needed to achieve a national popular vote are now committed to the compact. Washington joins Maryland, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Illinois as members of the compact. This is the first state to pass NPV into law in 2009 after having passed one chamber each in New Mexico, and Arkansas, which are now adjourned, and Oregon, Nevada, Vermont, and Colorado where the bills are being considered in the second chamber.

NPV has now passed into law on both coasts and in the heartland. Additionally, legislative chambers in every region, and in states of every size, have endorsed NPV. PSN's recent Dispatch covers the continuing focus of the presidential election campaigns on a few battleground states, and the negative impacts this has for our democracy and progressives in particular. Washington, of course, has been a national leader in government reform and accountability and this is another instance of the voters coming first in the Evergreen State.