Yesterday, Washington took a big step closer to becoming the latest state to join the National Popular Vote Compact with the State House’s passage of Senate Bill 5599, which Governor Gregoire is expected to sign.
The Compact is an agreement among states which stipulates that electoral votes for President and Vice President will be awarded to the winners of the national popular vote for President, instead of on a state by state basis. The agreement doesn’t go into effect until at least two hundred and seventy electoral votes are pledged to it, thereby preventing candidates from taking advantage of it.
For more, check out National Popular Vote, which has a page on their website.
(Some fun meta trivia: At last year’s Netroots Nation, the Northwest Progressive Institute booth was next door to National Popular Vote’s booth).