Colorado cannot afford to give its votes for President to states like California and New York. The National Popular Vote (NPV) does just that: it gives Colorado’s votes, and our voice, to larger, more populous states. The effect of the National Popular Vote scheme is to do an end run around our system of checks and balances, allowing political power to be consolidated in a few states that have large numbers of people. This cannot happen. We must protect our votes for President from these wealthy out-of-state special interests. It takes a lot of work and commitment, but it can be done!

The National Popular Vote Compact (also known as SB 19-042) will be on the ballot this November. We are asking for a “NO” vote on the ballot question. If we keep NPV supporters under 50% this election, then citizens will have VETOED SB 19-042 and Colorado’s participation in the National Popular Vote Compact.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

National Popular Vote is a multi-state scheme to take Colorado’s Electoral College votes for President and give them to the candidate for President who gets the most votes nationally, regardless of which candidate gets the most votes in Colorado.

NPV proponents who want to steal our electoral votes have raised millions to push the NPV scheme on Colorado, more than 98% of which comes from outside Colorado and about 75% of which comes from California.

How will the National Popular Vote scheme affect Colorado?

NPV diminishes Colorado’s voice and our votes for President.

Instead of playing a central role in presidential elections, the NPV scheme would diminish Colorado’s influence in these elections. NPV takes Colorado’s voice and votes and gives them to big states and large metropolitan areas that have more people.

The current system gives a proportional voice to big states and small states alike. California has the most people of any state in the Union, so it has 55 votes for president. Texas is the second most populous state, so it has 38 votes for president. Colorado has far fewer people than either California or Texas, so we have 9 votes for president of the United States.

You can see why California is all in favor, and spending millions to get this scheme to pass. Their already big voice and many votes will get even bigger. These California votes, along with just a few large populated cities outside California, will have the opportunity to choose the President of the Unites States every 4 years. No wonder they are spending millions in our state to get Colorado voters to support this scheme.

NPV is dangerous for Colorado and other Western states

If the NPV scheme is enacted, political power would consolidate on the coasts and in large metropolitan areas. States like Colorado would lose out to the political power that these more populous areas of our country would gain.

States like California and New York, and large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles and New York City, would necessarily see their influence over presidential elections increase at the expense of states like Colorado.

In fact, NPV is so bad for mountain states that the Governor of Nevada, a Democrat, vetoed legislation there that would have committed Nevada’s votes for president to the national popular vote winner.

NPV is an end run around the U.S. Constitution

If the NPV scheme is enacted, the winner of Colorado’s popular vote might not even get Colorado’s votes for president. Worse yet, a candidate doesn’t even need to be on the ballot in Colorado in order to get our Electoral College votes.

Candidates for president will shop for their best options and only qualify for the ballot in supportive states. If NPV is adopted, candidates for president wouldn’t even have to appear on the ballot in Colorado in order to get Colorado’s votes for president.

So not only can a candidate who wins Colorado lose out on Colorado’s Electoral College votes, it is very possible that a candidate who isn’t even on the ballot in Colorado could get Colorado’s votes for president.

National Popular Vote encourages divisive political factions

Under the National Popular Vote Scheme, a president could be elected with only a fraction of the national popular vote. This means that candidates will use their limited resources to appeal to the fewest number of people they need to win.

Under the current system, candidates must build coalitions based on policy and geography to win enough Electoral College votes to be elected president. They cannot focus on some small group of activists in populous states or large cities.

Under the current system, candidates must work toward the middle to gain the support necessary to win a MAJORITY of votes in the Electoral College.

Current system of electing a president discourages voter fraud

The current system works because it decentralizes control of presidential elections. That is, dead people voting in Chicago only aects the outcome of statewide elections in Illinois. Hanging chads in Broward County only aect elections in Florida.

NPV makes elections in every state susceptible to voter fraud in Chicago or hanging chads in Broward County. In a close presidential election, recounts are necessary only in those states that had close votes themselves.

With NPV, a close vote would require the massive undertaking of recounting votes in every state, regardless of how close the vote was in each individual state.

Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or someone who’s been spurred to action to defeat the dangerous NPV scheme, we want to help you make the most of your time with friends and neighbors. We have designed these materials to help you inform them about the value of how we currently elect our president and the dangers to Colorado of the National Popular Vote scheme.

1. Set a meeting date and location.

Living rooms make a great place to host a meeting, as do many libraries. Backyards will do too as long as the weather is cooperative. Once you set a meeting date and have identied your meeting location, invite your friends and neighbors.

2. Who to invite?

Some folks are concerned about broaching political topics with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Use your best judgment. This is an issue that affects Colorado and has Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliateds working to defeat the NPV. Understanding that this is not an “R” issue or a “D” issue will often help people get past the discomfort of “political” issues.

3. How to engage the conversation.

Helping people understand the value and fairness of the Electoral College is a wonderful opportunity. We hope you view it that way. We have designed our video, “Let’s Protect Colorado’s Vote,” to be an easy way to get into the conversation about the NPV scheme and the Electoral College. Our experience is that people will have questions about the practical implications of NPV versus the Electoral College. We cannot anticipate every question, but the materials provided for this meeting should provide the background needed to thoughtfully answer questions posed.

4. Follow-up with your meeting attendees.

Make sure you have emails and phone numbers for the people who attend your meeting and return that information to us at [email protected] so that we can help follow-up with them.

An email or hand-written note sent shortly after the meeting is always a nice gesture of gratitude for an attendee’s time and effort to participate in the neighborhood meeting. It is also helpful to make note of any questions left unanswered, so that you can follow-up with that person when you have located an appropriate answer.

5. Remember, we’re here to help.

Information, videos, and other materials are included on our website at www.ProtectColoradosVote.org. We are also available to answer questions that are not covered by the published materials. Most of all, we need you to be our front-line Ambassador in the fight to keep Colorado out of the NPV scheme.

Thank you for your time and attention and engaging in the fight!

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – they all have a place with different people. Some folks are Facebook only, others are monitoring many dierent social media platforms. Whichever is you, help us while you’re on social media.

Share our posts and share photos of the positive ways that you’re helping to bring people to the cause. Follow us on Facebook and share our posts. Remember, keep it positive. This is an opportunity to remind our fellow Coloradans of the value and fairness of the Electoral College and to educate them on the dangers of the NPV scheme.