# Is this the end of the Electoral College?

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/is-this-the-end-of-the-electoral-college/
- Published: 2026-11-12T22:25:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T23:35:45+00:00
- Original publisher: Vox (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.vox.com/today-explained-newsletter/510466/national-popular-vote-compact-2026
- Topics: Government, Politics

## Key points

- The compact would award participating states’ electors to the national popular vote winner.
- Eighteen states and Washington, DC, have signed up, totalling 222 electoral votes.
- An original architect warns that close counts could trigger disputes between states.

## Summary

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could allow states to sidestep the Electoral College by pledging their electors to the winner of the national popular vote. The proposal may gain momentum as Democrats take control of more state governments, but even one of its original architects warns that it could create serious constitutional and practical problems.

So far, 18 states and Washington, DC, have joined, representing 222 electoral votes. The compact would take effect once participating states hold enough votes to ensure the national popular vote winner becomes president. Yale professor Akhil Amar helped develop the idea after George W. Bush won the 2000 election despite losing the popular vote; he now worries that Democratic-only support makes the plan look partisan, and that states could disagree over the result of a close national count.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.