The Delaware House of Representatives has passed a bill to give the state’s Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote.
In a 24-17 vote, the Delaware House passed the measure that would add the Diamond State to the compact of 12 states working to undermine the Electoral College.
The popular vote plan reportedly only takes effect if enough states sign on. The final tally for implementation would be enough states to total 270 electoral votes, a majority of the votes needed to win the White House.
Members of the compact, 12 states and the District of Columbia to date, would bind their Electoral College electors to the candidate who wins the popular vote nationwide instead of the candidate that gets the most votes in their home states. If Delaware joins the compact as the thirteenth state, the total will have grown to 184 electoral votes, 90 votes shy of the threshold.
State Rep. David Bentz said that the measure is important for Delaware because the state is already an afterthought in presidential elections, according to the Hill.
“We’re already overlooked,” Bentz claimed, “Delaware is seen as this true blue state. And if you’re a Republican voter what is your motivation to vote? Because you know at the end of the day Delaware’s three electoral votes will go to that Democrat. If you’re a Democrat, maybe you’re not motivated either because you know you don’t have to.”
If Delaware gives final approval, it would join the other most recent signatory, Colorado, which approved its part in the pact last week.
Before Colorado signed on, the other eleven states include Vermont, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Washington, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and California.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.