Governor Abigail Spanberger is considering legislation that would have Virginia be the 18th state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
Should Virginia ditch the influence of the Electoral College and sign on to a compact of states agreeing to cast all their electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote? That's the question now on the desk of Governor Abigail Spanberger. Delegate Cia Price is a Democrat from Newport News who introduced a bill for Virginia to join the National Popular Interstate Compact, an agreement that would kick in if member states reach 270 electoral votes.
"Five people have become president of our nation without winning the most votes. This means that the value of each vote is not equal across the country in presidential elections," Price says. "This is also why presidential campaigns mostly only focus on battleground states."
That was just seven states in 2024, she says, leaving the other 43 states on the sidelines, including Virginia voters. Republican House Leader Terry Kilgore says Spanberger would be making a dangerous move if she signs the bill.
"California, New York, those big states would have such a bigger role in the election of a president. That's what's going to happen," Kilgore says. "Or, on the flip side, if you look at Texas and Florida, the way they're going it may be even worse for your side of the aisle."
Worse because in 2024, Virginia would have cast all its electoral votes for Donald Trump. A spokeswoman for the governor says she’ll consider this bill along with dozens of others already on their way to her desk.