A national popular vote is closer than you think

by Matt Mackoviak

The 2020 presidential election, and the intense debate that has continued for more than year after its conclusion, have invariably led to new proposals to affect future national elections.

While any federal “voting rights” legislation is unlikely to pass, in recent weeks several elected officials, including the second-ranking Republican U.S. senator, John Thune of South Dakota, and the House majority whip, Democrat Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, have expressed interest in reforming the Electoral Count Act. This would clarify the role the vice president — in their role as president of the Senate — plays when certifying the vote of the Electoral College.