Grassroots group hits milestone in effort to overturn state’s National Popular Vote Compact

The group, Coloradans Vote, just turned in a petition that could put the issue of how the state’s electoral votes are counted — to the people.

Don Wilson, one of the group’s organizers, said they turned in more than 225,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office Thursday. That’s 100,000 signatures more than the minimum amount needed to land the issue on the November 2020 ballot.

The Secretary of State’s office still needs to validate the signatures in order for that to happen, however.

In March, Governor Jared Polis signed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which — if enough states join — would cast Colorado’s nine electoral college votes towards the winner of the popular vote nationally, instead of the presidential candidate who received the most votes in Colorado.

As of this publishing, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is “in utero,” as the law would only be triggered when enough states join, amassing to 270 electoral votes. Currently, that number stands at 196 electoral votes.

Wilson was surprised by the amount of support his petition received.

“I think that people that understand what the electoral college does for us and what it protects us from are really behind this and really caught on quick to the scheme of what is trying to be pushed on us,” Wilson said.

The League of Women Voters opposes the movement, however.

“It’s time to put voters ahead of partisan politics,” countered Toni Larson, Director of Advocacy of the League of Women Voters of Colorado. “Opponents have engineered this ballot referendum solely because they believe a National Popular Vote would put them at a political disadvantage. In fact, a National Popular Vote is the only way to guarantee that every vote – Republican, Democrat, or Independent – actually makes a difference in who’s elected president.”

Some have questioned the constitutionality of the interstate compact. See previous coverage here.