Pennsylvania/Michigan/Wisconsin electoral vote splitting

[krazen1211]

The states of Maine/Nebraska split their electoral votes by Congressional district. Obama, of course, won 1 of them in Nebraska.


Is there any legal barrier for Corbett/Snyder/Walker enacting similar policies in these 3 states?

[The Dowager Mod]

In Wisconsin it has to pass two sessions of the legislature then a referendum.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

It becomes insane when applied to big states. It really works only in states with 2-4 congressmen or so.

[memphis]

These are the last states that would ever do it. They're swing states (albeit a bit on the Dem side) with a lot of electoral votes.  They would be decreasing their clout to move to a split.

[Mr. Morden]

Btw, there's a bill in the Nebraska legislature that would have the state revert to WTA in the electoral college, and it's thought to have a good chance of passing:

http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/article_0a5a6e08-6b63-5c99-b75a-760e35c9f099.html

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Btw, there's a bill in the Nebraska legislature that would have the state revert to WTA in the electoral college, and it's thought to have a good chance of passing:

http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/article_0a5a6e08-6b63-5c99-b75a-760e35c9f099.html

How utterly and completely idiotic.

It's a step backwards, and it just shows what a bunch of sore losers the Republicans are.

[tpfkaw]

Btw, there's a bill in the Nebraska legislature that would have the state revert to WTA in the electoral college, and it's thought to have a good chance of passing:

http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/article_0a5a6e08-6b63-5c99-b75a-760e35c9f099.html

How utterly and completely idiotic.

It's a step backwards, and it just shows what a bunch of sore losers the Republicans are.

I take it you were in favor of Schwarzenegger's proposal to apply congressional district splitting in California.

[krazen1211]

These are the last states that would ever do it. They're swing states (albeit a bit on the Dem side) with a lot of electoral votes.  They would be decreasing their clout to move to a split.

It would also give the 2012 Republican candidate a free 20 electoral votes.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

These are the last states that would ever do it. They're swing states (albeit a bit on the Dem side) with a lot of electoral votes.  They would be decreasing their clout to move to a split.

Michigan's not a swing state when it comes to districts though... it'd hurt the Democrats, probably.

But I certainly don't see it happening in Michigan.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Having electoral votes depend on gerrymandering is a stupid idea.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Remember some Democrats in North Carolina tried to do this before 2008 but were told to stand down by the DNC. If they had gone through, it would've backfired.

[Mr. Morden]

Also Colorado in 2004, though that would have done it proportionally rather than by CD:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec04/colorado_10-26.html

And California in 2008 and again in 2012:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/12/20/105396/commentary-a-gop-power-grab-is.html

[Dgov]

Having electoral votes depend on gerrymandering is a stupid idea.

This.  Do you want to give these people an even BIGGER reason to draw overtly partisan lines? 

Although, a universal application of this would almost certainly help the Republicans on average.  In a perfectly 50-50 election, The Democrats are wasting more Votes in Districts like NY-15 and NY-16 than the Republicans are in their strongly R districts.  In other words, it would transfer the Democrat's existing concentration problem in house districts into presidential elections where it doesn't currently exist.

So compared to the Current electoral college system (which is remarkably balanced between the two parties actually at 266-263-9 Republican-Democrat-Even CPVI, given how arbitrary it is), a by-congressional seat map would be unfairly partisan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPVI

[Landslide Lyndon]

Proportional allocation is the only right way to do it. Everything else is just stupid and/or partisan.

[memphis]

Remember some Democrats in North Carolina tried to do this before 2008 but were told to stand down by the DNC. If they had gone through, it would've backfired.

Obama would have had 5 fewer EVs? Big deal. The election's not going to swing on a few votes in NC.

[DrScholl]

All states need to keep the process like it is, the electoral college is nonsensical enough as it is. Such blatant electioneering would probably cause too much controversy to pass.

[Brittain33]

Also Colorado in 2004, though that would have done it proportionally rather than by CD:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec04/colorado_10-26.html

That was a terrible idea, because in a close race it would have reduced Colorado's value to the competitors to the single electoral vote that could have swung one way or the other by deep investment in the state to pull off a 5-4 win.

[Bull Moose Base]

Having electoral votes depend on gerrymandering is a stupid idea.

So is the electoral college.  And the senate.