The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement among states to give all their electoral votes to whichever presidential candidate wins the most votes nationwide. It only takes effect once its members hold a majority of the Electoral College, 270 of 538 votes. As of September 2026, 18 states and the District of Columbia have joined, with 222 electoral votes, so the compact needs states with 48 more.
Virginia was the latest to sign on, on April 13, 2026. Here’s how the compact would work, who’s in, and the legal fight waiting if it ever reaches 270.
How would the National Popular Vote compact work? #
The Constitution lets each state legislature decide how to appoint its presidential electors. Today, 48 states and DC give all their electors to the statewide winner, while Maine and Nebraska split some by congressional district, as explained in how Maine and Nebraska split electoral votes. The compact uses the same power in a different way.
- A state joins by passing a law. The legislature approves the compact and the governor signs it.
- Nothing changes yet. While members hold fewer than 270 electoral votes, each state keeps awarding electors the usual way.
- The trigger. Once members’ combined electoral votes reach 270, the compact becomes active.
- Election year. Each member state appoints the electors of the candidate who won the national popular vote, regardless of who won that state.
Because members would control at least 270 votes, the national vote winner would always win the Electoral College. The compact sets July 20 of an election year, six months before Inauguration Day, as the date that decides whether it’s in effect for that election. A state that withdraws after that date isn’t treated as withdrawn until the next president takes office.
Which states have joined? #
These are the members and their electoral votes under the current apportionment, per National Popular Vote, the group behind the compact.
| Member | Electoral votes |
|---|---|
| California | 54 |
| New York | 28 |
| Illinois | 19 |
| New Jersey | 14 |
| Virginia | 13 |
| Washington | 12 |
| Massachusetts | 11 |
| Colorado | 10 |
| Maryland | 10 |
| Minnesota | 10 |
| Oregon | 8 |
| Connecticut | 7 |
| New Mexico | 5 |
| Hawaii | 4 |
| Maine | 4 |
| Rhode Island | 4 |
| Delaware | 3 |
| Vermont | 3 |
| District of Columbia | 3 |
| Total | 222 |
Where could the remaining 48 votes come from? #
That’s the hard part. Every current member voted for the Democratic presidential candidate statewide in 2024, so the compact has grown almost entirely in states where it’s politically easier to pass. Reaching 270 would take states that are competitive or lean Republican.
Bills have been introduced in states including Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin and Kansas without passing. Nevada’s legislature approved a constitutional amendment for the compact in 2023, but it failed to pass a second time in 2025, which it needed to reach voters.
Why do supporters want a national popular vote? #
The popular vote and Electoral College can disagree. It has happened five times: 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016. In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote by about 540,000 and lost to George W. Bush; in 2016, Hillary Clinton won it by about 2.9 million and lost to Donald Trump.
Campaigns ignore most states. Under winner-take-all, candidates concentrate on a handful of battlegrounds, as we describe in what makes a state a swing state. Supporters argue a national vote would make a voter in Texas or New York worth as much as one in Pennsylvania.
Why do opponents object? #
Federalism. Opponents say the Electoral College was designed to make presidents win across many states, and that the compact sidesteps the amendment process to change it.
The Compact Clause. Article I, Section 10 says no state may enter “any Agreement or Compact with another State” without Congress’s consent. Critics argue this compact needs that consent because it changes how the country picks presidents. Supporters answer that states already control how they appoint electors, and the Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling in Chiafalo v. Washington, which let states bind their electors, underlines that power.
Recounts and rules. A razor-thin national margin could require recounts in every state, each under its own laws and deadlines. And member states would have to rely on vote totals certified by non-member states, which may count and report them differently.
If the compact ever reaches 270, a court challenge is all but certain, and the Supreme Court would likely decide it.
Would a national popular vote change how you follow elections? #
Yes. Today, state polls in a few battlegrounds matter more than national polls, because the Electoral College runs through them. Under the compact, national polling would carry more weight and a close race could hinge on total turnout in safe states that now get little attention.
For now, the next presidential contest is still in the primary stage. Election Tracker has a 2028 Primary tab with both parties’ fields, each with a 30-day polling average and trend line, plus the president’s approval rating as a 7-day average. For how electors are picked under the current system, see how Electoral College electors are chosen.
Frequently asked questions #
Is the National Popular Vote compact constitutional? #
It hasn’t been tested in court. Supporters cite Article II’s grant of power to state legislatures over electors. Opponents cite the Compact Clause and argue congressional consent is required. The question would likely reach the Supreme Court only if the compact reaches 270 electoral votes.
Does the compact abolish the Electoral College? #
No. Electors would still be appointed and would still meet and vote. The compact only changes which candidate member states’ electors support: the national winner rather than the state winner.
Can a state withdraw from the compact? #
Yes, at any time, with one limit. A withdrawal made within six months of the end of a presidential term, starting July 20 of an election year, doesn’t take effect until the next president is inaugurated. That’s meant to stop states from pulling out after seeing polls.
Would candidates only campaign in big cities? #
Opponents say yes; supporters note that even the largest cities hold a small share of the national population, so a winning coalition would still need suburban and rural voters. No one knows exactly how campaigns would adapt, since it has never been tried.
What happens if the Electoral College ties today? #
Without the compact, a 269–269 tie sends the presidential election to the House, with each state delegation casting one vote. We explain that process in what happens if there’s an Electoral College tie.