The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would commit member states to award their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner regardless of in-state results, added its 16th member state bringing its total to 209 of the 270 electoral votes needed for the compact to take effect. Legal challenges to the compact's constitutionality are expected when and if it reaches the triggering threshold.
Public opinion polling consistently shows majority support for direct popular election of the president across partisan lines, though the intensity of preference differs significantly. Republicans are more likely to oppose the compact given that their presidential candidates have won the Electoral College while losing the popular vote in recent cycles. The compact's architects argue it would shift campaign attention to currently ignored states that are not competitive under the current system.
