Secretary of State Fagan to push for national popular vote
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, who as a lawmaker championed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, has joined the advisory board of a movement that is pushing states to adopt the one person-one vote system.
She's now advising National Popular Vote, a non-profit dedicated to advancing the compact. The movement needs 270 Electoral College votes for a national popular vote to be adopted in America. It already has secured 196 and aims to gain more this year.
Under the current system, each state’s electoral votes go to the candidate who won the popular vote in that state. Nebraska and Maine are the only exceptions.
News release:
| Secretary of State Shemia Fagan Appointed to the Bipartisan National Popular Vote Advisory Committee |
| SALEM, Ore. – National Popular Vote, a national non-profit dedicated to advancing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in states across the country, announced that Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan has joined its Advisory Board. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which Oregon joined in 2019, would award electoral college votes to the national popular vote winner in presidential elections once it is enacted by states that cumulatively possess a majority of all electoral votes. Currently, the compact has been enacted in 15 states and the District of Columbia for a total of 196 electoral votes. “One-person-one-vote is critical to the foundation of our democracy and National Popular Vote ensures that this principle is upheld in one of our most sacred democratic processes – selecting our President,” Secretary Fagan said. “I am proud Oregon has long been a leader in elections reform to ensure the voices of individuals across the political spectrum and geographic divide are heard. Joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact was one step in that long journey. It is an honor to join this group of individuals in advancing National Popular Vote across the country.” The Oregon Legislature passed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in 2019. Secretary Fagan, who at the time served in the Oregon Senate, was one of the chief sponsors of the legislation. The Advisory Board is made up of a bipartisan group of current and former elected officials, election law experts, and electoral reform advocates from across America's political spectrum. With the shared goal of electing the President by national popular vote and implementation of the one-person-one-vote principle, this group advises the non-profit National Popular Vote organization on their mission of reforming the electoral college through the enactment of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Secretary Fagan joins, as a member of the advisory board, co-chairs, former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, former Sen. Al Franken, fellow Secretaries of State, Jena Griswold of Colorado and Steve Simon of Minnesota, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former NAACP President Ben Jealous, Republican consultant Rick Tyler, former U.S. Sens. Jake Garn and David Durenburger and former Reps. Tom Campbell and Tom Downey on the board. |
