SALEM – Oregon’s Electoral College votes could potentially be awarded to a presidential candidate who doesn’t get the most votes in Oregon. That’s because of a bill signed into law Wednesday by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown.
Her signature on Senate Bill 870 means Oregon is now the 15th state, along with the District of Columbia, that has joined the National Popular Vote compact.
The compact is an agreement to award a state’s Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most votes nationwide, regardless of whether that candidate won in that state.
“I think it’s really important to be a part of the national conversation regarding the presidential election,” said Brown. “I think it will encourage candidates to spend more time in states like ours, speaking directly to our voters.”
The compact will only take effect when enough states have joined to collectively award a majority of votes in the Electoral College.
The threshold to reach that majority is 270.
Oregon’s decision to join adds seven Electoral College votes to the agreement. According to the National Popular Vote organization, that means jurisdictions representing 196 Electoral College votes have joined the compact so far.
Barry Fadem, president of the California-based non-profit that has been lobbying states, attended the bill-signing ceremony at the Oregon capitol.
“We have a road to 270 that we think is possible so that this would be in place for the 2024 election,” he said. “There’s a way it could happen for 2020, but it’s unlikely.”
Supporters have been trying to convince Oregon lawmakers for more than a decade to join the compact. This year’s bill passed with the help of two Republican votes in the state Senate. The Oregon House vote was along party lines.
Opponents said the compact is an underhanded way to circumvent the United States Constitution, which established the Electoral College. They also said it would increase the influence of large cities at the expense of rural areas.
Ad Choices