Oregon mulls joining National Popular Vote movement

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A years-long movement to elect the presidential candidate with the most popular votes is up for discussion in the Oregon Statehouse for the fourth time in last eight years.

The proposal, which is piggybacking on momentum from Donald Trump’s Electoral College victory, drew more than 220 public testimonies on Tuesday for its first public hearing in Salem.

Proponents say it’s a way to ensure that all votes are weighted equally, while opponents say circumventing the Electoral College would only disenfranchise rural America.

The National Popular Vote compact is an interstate agreement that’s triggered when enacted by states with at least 270 electoral votes, the magic number needed to clinch the presidency.

The compact is already 61 percent of the way toward meeting its goal, and Oregon could be the 12th state to sign on, if lawmakers approve it this year.