The Maine Legislature adopted the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in 2024, which Democratic Gov. Janet Mills allowed to become law without her signature. The compact pledges states’ Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate with the most overall votes nationwide. It would take effect once states with a total of 270 Electoral, College votes have joined.
Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have ratified the agreement, giving the compact 222 electoral votes. Democrats gained control of several more state governments during the midterm elections, potentially securing the 48 additional votes needed to reach the threshold. Maine and Nebraska are the only states that split their electoral votes across candidates. Other states use a winner-take-all system where the candidate with the majority of the state’s popular vote gets all of the state’s electoral votes.
Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which now have Democratic trifectas, could provide additional votes. Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada previously advanced proposals that ultimately failed. In total, 61 electoral votes come from these states.
