Overview
- Democrats won unified control of Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, creating the state trifectas that make legislative action on the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact politically feasible.
- The compact already includes 18 states plus Washington, D.C., accounting for 222 electoral votes, so adding just a subset of the five newly Democratic states (their combined 61 electoral votes) would exceed the 270-vote threshold required to trigger the pact.
- Nevada governor-elect Aaron Ford publicly said he would sign a bill to join the compact if it reaches his desk, but other new governors have been noncommittal and Nevada’s 2019 veto by then‑Gov. Steve Sisolak shows gubernatorial discretion can block enactment.
- Legal challenges are widely expected because critics argue the compact may run afoul of the Constitution’s Compact Clause, Article II and equal-protection principles, making Supreme Court review likely if states adopt the plan.
- Organizers are lining up sponsors for state legislatures that meet in early 2027 — Arizona starts Jan. 11 and Nevada Feb. 1 — and advocates point to polling that shows modest majority support for a national popular vote as they press for quick action ahead of the 2028 presidential cycle.