First State Times

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization that seeks to educate voters and increase participation in public life by the electorate, has issued a response to criticisms surrounding Delaware’s National Popular Vote law.

Earlier this year, Gov. John Carney signed a new law that would place new covenants on the state’s voting members of the Electoral College. This new law states Delaware’s electors must vote for the winner of the national popular vote, regardless of who won the popular vote in Delaware.  This law has now passed in 16 states and the District of Columbia.

Writing in a Delaware State News commentary, Frank Daniels said the law ‘negated’ the franchise of voters in Delaware and that the new laws ‘subvert’ the constitution.

Sue Claire Harper and Carol D. Jones, co-presidents of The League of Women Voters of Delaware, offered the following response in a letter sent to the Delaware State News:

“It's hard to see how the franchise of individual voters is changed in any way by a change in the way the Electoral College works," they wrote. "The people whose candidate gets the most votes wins.  The people whose candidates get a lesser number of votes lose.  This is the way every other election we have in this country is decided.  Logically there is no reason why presidential elections should be any different but currently because of the way the Electoral College is set up, it's a majority of the States that decide who is president, not a majority of the people."

The women stated that the American public could use a better understanding of the constitution, particularly when it concerns the Electoral College. They noted the process of electing a president has been reformed since the Constitution was originally ratified.

Looking forward, the organization will not predict if the law will stand the test of time.

“There is no way to second guess whether or not such a bill will survive legal challenges.  What is certain is that there will be legal challenges and States' Rights issues will no doubt be part of the argument,” the co-presidents wrote.

Going forward, the women said the League of Women Voters would help answer questions surrounding the new law, along with any other questions that voters might have.

“We must encourage people not to rely on one source of information before making up their minds on any given issue,” Harper and Jones wrote.  “It's not easy but it's crucial that we all work toward the goal of presenting accurate, thoughtful arguments that are helpful to all citizens in making their decisions.”