Lawmakers may allow Nevada to join national voting compact

Assemblyman Howard Watts, D-Las Vegas, is seen during the 82nd Session of the Legislature in February 2023 in Carson City. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal).
CARSON CITY - - Nevada could soon be the current state to join an interstate compact that would award Electoral College votes to the governmental candidate with the most votes nationwide under a resolution heard by lawmakers Tuesday.

Assembly Joint Resolution 6, provided by Assemblyman Howard Watts III, D-Las Vegas, would amend the Nevada Constitution to allow the state to join the National Popular Vote Compact.

The compact, which would end up being active only if states representing 270 Electoral College votes join, would require the state's governmental electors to cast their choose the prospect who wins the popular vote, efficiently negating the Electoral College.

" I think every voter's voice ought to have the same weight, which is what AJR6 seeks to do," Watts stated.

The state would be able to withdraw from the compact through statutory action. Before the state is able to sign up with the compact, the resolution would need to be passed during this legislative session and the 2025 session before being put on the tally for citizens' approval.

Comparable legislation was presented during the 2019 session, however stopped working after then-Gov. Steve Sisolak banned the step on the premises that the compact, if enacted, might "decrease the function of smaller states like Nevada.".

Presidential electors currently sign a promise to vote for the governmental candidate with the most votes in the state, moving all of the state's Electoral College votes for that candidate.

The procedure is meant to avoid a situation in which a governmental candidate wins the popular vote however loses the election due to the fact that she or he didn't win a majority of Electoral College votes.

The compact has actually been enacted by 16 states currently, totaling 195 electoral college votes.

But some lawmakers, including Sen. Lisa Krasner, R-Reno, raised issues about the measure's constitutionality.

" You can call it a compact. You can call it whatever you desire, however it looks like you're attempting to prevent the United States Constitution," Krasner said.

But Watts stated the procedure would leave the Electoral College in location and would rather permit states, which are offered the power through the U.S. Constitution to figure out how they designate presidential electors, to "pick to come together and assign their electors based upon a various method.".

Numerous groups spoke in assistance of the bill, including Silver State Voices, Battle Born Progress, One APIA Nevada and a spokesperson from the compact.

" The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact does not eliminate the Electoral College. In fact, I think it strengthens and protects it," stated Ray Hayes, a nationwide representative for the compact.

But numerous groups spoke against the costs, consisting of agents from the Independent American Party, the Nevada Republican Party and Nevada Right to Life, who raised issues that the compact would harm Nevada voters.

" We do not think that it makes great sense for Nevada to work so hard to end up being first in the West in the main election and then relegate ourselves to irrelevance in the basic election," Nevada Republican Party National Committeeman Jim DeGraffenreid stated. "Nor needs to Nevada surrender our voice to larger states.".

Contact Taylor R. Avery at TAvery@reviewjournal.com. Follow @travery98 on Twitter.