A growing multi-state agreement could change how electoral votes are awarded and whether your state’s vote reflects its own voters.
You may be hearing that Virginia is changing how its electoral votes are awarded. At first glance, it may sound like a technical or state-level decision.
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It’s not.
This is part of a growing agreement among multiple states that could impact how presidential elections are decided across the country.
And while Virginia recently moved forward, similar proposals have already been introduced and passed in states like New York.
What the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact Is
The NPVIC is an agreement among participating states to:
Award all of their Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote
Regardless of how their own state’s voters voted
However, it only takes effect once enough states join to reach 270 electoral votes (the number needed to win the presidency).
Key Mechanics
Each participating state passes identical legislation
The compact is inactive until the 270 threshold is met
Once active, all member states allocate electors as a bloc based on the national vote total
Current Status (as of now)
Adopted by multiple states and D.C. (Complete list at end of article*)
Represents over 222 electoral votes, just 48 short of the 270 needed to take effect.
And once it hits 270, it would immediately change how presidential elections function in practice
The United States was never meant to be a system where a simple national majority decides everything.
We are a constitutional republic, built with safeguards to maintain balance and prevent any one group from dominating the rest.
Those safeguards include:
A House of Representatives based on population
A Senate where every state has equal representation
An Electoral College that reflects both people and states
These structures were intentional. They ensure that different regions, populations, and perspectives all have a voice.
What the Constitution Says About Presidential Elections
The Constitution establishes a state-based electoral system, not a single national election.
Article II, Section 1 provides that:
Each state appoints electors
The number of electors equals its total representation in Congress
The Twelfth Amendment further refines the process:
Electors meet in their respective states
They cast ballots for President and Vice President
Those votes are transmitted to Congress for counting
This framework is critical:
Presidential elections are conducted through the states as distinct political entities—not as a single, national pool of votes.
States have authority over how electors are appointed—but that authority exists within a system built on independent state participation, not collective national aggregation.
What the Electoral College Actually Does
The Electoral College requires candidates to win support across multiple states, not just accumulate the largest national vote total.
It ensures:
States matter as individual entities
Smaller or less populated regions retain influence and are not ignored
Candidates build broad coalitions across the country
In simple terms:
It’s not just how many votes you get, it’s where those votes come from.
What Virginia’s Decision Changes
Virginia has joined an agreement that would award its electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, even if Virginians vote differently.
That means:
Virginia voters could choose one candidate
But the state’s electoral votes could go to another
And because this is part of a multi-state agreement, it doesn’t stop with Virginia.
Why This Affects Every State Including New York
New York enacted this measure in 2014. It was signed into law by Governor Cuomo. In 2016, New York passed an additional law making its participation permanent by removing a sunset clause in the original bill.
If enough more states adopt this approach:
Presidential elections could effectively be decided by a national vote total, not state-by-state results
The role of individual states, including New York, would be fundamentally changed
A state’s electoral votes may no longer reflect its own voters
For New Yorkers, that raises a very real question:
Should New York’s electoral votes reflect New York voters or voters across the entire country?
The Bigger Constitutional Question: The Compact Clause
There is another constitutional provision that becomes highly relevant in this context:
Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 — the Compact Clause
It states:
“No State shall, without the Consent of Congress… enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State…”
This clause exists to prevent states from combining their power in ways that could alter the federal system or shift the balance of authority.
When multiple states coordinate their electoral vote allocation through a binding agreement—particularly one designed to influence the outcome of a national election—it raises a serious constitutional question:
Is this type of coordinated action an interstate compact that requires congressional consent?
And if so:
Has that consent been properly obtained?
States do have authority over how they assign electoral votes.
But this situation is different.
This is not just one state making a decision, it is multiple states agreeing to act together.
That raises a serious constitutional concern:
When states combine their power to influence a national outcome, are they changing the system itself?
Why the Process Matters
The Constitution provides a clear method for making major changes to how our system works: the amendment process.
That process:
Requires broad agreement across the country
Ensures transparency and debate
Protects the balance built into the system
When changes of this scale happen outside that process, it raises legitimate concerns about whether the system is being altered without full national consent.
The Bottom Line
This is not just about Virginia or New York. And it’s not just about one election.
It’s about whether we are maintaining a system designed to balance power across states, regions, and populations.
If enough states act together, they could effectively change how presidential elections work without ever amending the Constitution.
That is a conversation every citizen, including New Yorkers, should be part of.
*Note: States that have signed the compact:
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont
Washington
Virginia (newly added)
Plus:
District of Columbia
Total
19 jurisdictions (18 states + D.C.)
222 electoral votes
About Project CIVICA
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Project Civica is a New York–based civic action organization dedicated to:
This article took 5 minutes to read and explained the issue here so well.
Something else I think it does is it undermines the constitution and state sovereignty to such an extent that it creates an entirely new nation. Washington, Oregon and California are contiguous. Vermont, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia are also contiguous as are Colorado and New Mexico. This creates three different confederacies. Add Wisconsin and/or Iowa to this list of states and we have four separate confederacies.
Indivisible?, Not if we don't hold these states politicians who have enacted this accountable for treason.
This article took 5 minutes to read and explained the issue here so well.
Something else I think it does is it undermines the constitution and state sovereignty to such an extent that it creates an entirely new nation. Washington, Oregon and California are contiguous. Vermont, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia are also contiguous as are Colorado and New Mexico. This creates three different confederacies. Add Wisconsin and/or Iowa to this list of states and we have four separate confederacies.
Indivisible?, Not if we don't hold these states politicians who have enacted this accountable for treason.