Another Ballot inititative to change CA EV allocation

[zorkpolitics]

Its back.....
An Electoral College Reform Act ballot initiative has been approved for circulation in California.
Once again it would allocate CA EV by Congressional District.
The circulation deadline is July 5, 2011. 504,760 signatures must be submitted by that date to election officials if the measure is to qualify for the state's February 4, 2012 ballot as an initiated state statute.
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Electoral_college_votes_measure_approved_for_circulation

Interesting target election:  The Presidential Primary, with Obama having no opposition, Democratic turnout might be light while Republican turnout in the competitive Super Tuesday primary could be huge, possibly pushing the initiative to pass...

This obviously would change CA from 55 solid Democratic EV to possibly a 36D -19R (CA has 19 Republican Congressman).  With 19 EV from California, a GOP candidate could easily lose the Popular vote nationwide by as much as 3%, but still win back the 4 closest states from 2008: Ohio, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina for a 273 EV win.

[Franzl]

As long as there's no national consensus, this type of thing will never be anything but politically motivated.

[zorkpolitics]

I agree it is politically motivated.
A similar politically motivated change was attempted by the then Democratically controlled legislature in CO,  in 2006 the Democrats tried to change to Congressional allotment so as to take votes away from a GOP victor, a bit ironic because in 2008 Obama carried CO and he would have lost a few EV.

[muon2]

It may be politically motivated, and certainly has political consequences, but in one way this is an improvement on previous efforts. I've always been concerned about CD-based EV allocation because of the possibility of gerrymandered districts having a double impact on both congress and the presidency. However, with the new CA redistricting commission that concern of mine is alleviated.

[bgwah]

Trying to schedule such an important vote during a primary when a lot of people won't be voting is extremely disgusting.

[Stranger in a strange land]

They tried this last cycle and failed to get the requisite number of signatures to get it on the ballot. However, even if it does get on the ballot, mobilizing enough democrats to defeat it shuoldn't be too hard in a 60% Obama state. Also, the CA Republican primary is open to independents, though only as a "beauty contest:" only the votes of registered Republicans count towards allocating delegates.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Of course Republicans oppose Electoral College reform unless they are done only in democratic States.

[minionofmidas]

The Colorado referendum was on pr. Unless there were two different proposals in Colorado.