In 2006, fellow CfER Board member and LWV member Rob Dickinson and I held a caucus at the LWVUS Convention on the National Popular Vote (NPV) compact, with overflow attendance. The LWVUS has a very long held position supporting the abolition of the Electoral College. This position, however, calls for a Constitutional amendment. Delegates from New York and Utah who attended our caucus were so excited about studying the NPV compact approach to direct election the president (which makes the Electoral College irrelevant without requiring an Constitutional amendment) that they went back to their State conventions and advocated successfully for a state study of the NPV compact.

Last month, at the 2008 Convention, we held another well-attended caucus, which led to 2008 convention delegates adopting a study of the NPV! Now local leagues across the country will be studying the advisability of using the NPV compact to elect the President.

Leagues will be studying the history of the Electoral College and the pros and cons of the NPV compact. This will be a short and very interesting study September - December 2008. Currently there are 8 state Leagues and many more local Leagues that have positions supporting PR or IRV. I am so pleased to see the LWV studying an electoral reform issue at the National level. I encourage CfER members to join their local League's study of the NPV compact. Contact me (, 530-644-8760) if you have any questions or would like a referral to your local League.

Paula Lee
Executive Vice President