National Popular Vote Petition Initiative Basis

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The  2024 Presidential election could be the first to be decided by the National Popular Vote IF initiatives in Florida, Missouri and Ohio passes, and Michigan finishes their legisaltive process.  It could be an interesting election night.

See Robert Reich explain why a National Popular Vote is needed to replace the by state winner take all Electoral College Selection at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn8rWMVGlfQ

For anyone interested in launching this as a Missouri voting citizen start here at https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_the_initiative_process_in_Missour...

The suggested text for the amendment is as follows:

Article VIII, Section  23, 7.(11) "Elections" definition shall be amended as to the final sentence period removed and the following text added  ", and in a general election for president of the United States the electors of this state, shall vote in accord the final tally of the National Popular Vote so as all citizens of America have their votes counted by the majority."

For Ohio go to https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_the_initiative_process_in_Ohio#Ap... In Ohio a Constitutional amendment for abortion rights will be on the ballot in 2024..  See 12:50 into https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1bx5cxBl2w

For Florida go to https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_the_initiative_process_in_Florida... and in Florida for the PAC registration part this organization may be able to help at  https://bffcompliance.com/

Thus this is seeking to launch a parallel to the Floridians Protecting Freedom constitutional amendment effort but for the National Popular Vote.   Currently a sponsor who is a registered Florida voter is needed. See for example   https://initiativepetitions.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativeForms/Volunteer/DSDE155A_999_2307_EN.PDF  One is needed for Ohio and Missouri also.

It is unknown how familiar you are with the https://nationalpopularvote.com effort to create a state Compact to use the National Popular Vote (NPV) in the stead of winner take all at a state level.   This effort is within 50 electoral votes of activating once Michigan signs theirs into law.

This will be a tough go, but it is looking to be a two pronged amendment, First to eleiminate the the 60% super majority for amendments, and second to to allow a Voter Choice Ballot to allow the state electlectors be chosen by the National Popular vote of the Nation.  In the 2020 Presidential election the separation was 371, 686 votes and yet the spread was 7 million votes nationwide.  7,059,526 to be exact.  There is a point where continuing to count is unfair.  Yet the electoral college in some heavy states cansway the outcome ridisulously.

This effort is a compatible hybrid spin to take the question directly to voters.  Polls show there are enough non Republicans voters to get this over the line in each of the below states. 

In 2023, Florida Representative Michael Gottleib introduced the National Popular Vote bill into the Florida House of Representatives (status of HB53). Senator Victor M. Torres, Jr. introduced the bill in the Senate (status of SB860).  They have not progressed. 

In Ohio In February 2019, Representatives David Leland, Kristin Boggs, Janine R. Boyd, Catherine D. Ingram, Mary Lightbody, Michael Skindell, and Kristin Boggs introduced the National Popular Vote bill (status of HB70).  It is now a dead bill

In Missouri In January 2023, Missouri Representative Ian Mackey introduced the National Popular Vote bill in the Missouri House (status of HB829).  Also, Representative Peter Meredith introduced the bill (status of HB997).  They have not progressed. 

That will leave Florida. Ohio and Missouri needing to be accomplished by constitutional amendment initiative as they are the only remaining states with enough electoral votes to get the compact over the hill to success that allow initiatives. 

But those states have a ZERO chance of of getting it through the legislature and the governor signing it as a Republican state.  The staffer at National Popular Vote seems a bit in the fog about this math that a legislatively enacted effort is now DOA. 

The initiative  effort would take the form of a voter choice ballot (VCB) you can see outlined at https://gov-shout.com/Trump_lost_2020_by_5_million_votes#NPV_VCB 

The amendment would operate as a quadrannual VCB or a one time NPV change instead of state electors.  That would be determined on election day 2024 if enough signatures can be gathered in time

florida has a super majority component of the initiative process that Florida law is unconstituional given a recent ruling of the US Supreme Court in blocking a constitutional amendment as to the NPV Compact. It appears the 60 percent super majority is lawful any longer given the US Supreme Court ruling in Chiafalo in 2020.

Further the case ruling unanimously on July 6, 2020 out of the US Supreme Court by Justice KAGAN ruled in CHIAFALO ET AL. v. WASHINGTON, locatable on the web as 19-465_i425.pdf specifically alludes to law says a legislature has no power to usurp the villl of the voters and nor does a governor or court.  That also means no process can stop the voters and a simple majority is what is valid under US constitution. 

Time is of the essence, so we need to move fast to get this moving immediately for the 2024 general election.