The Battleground State Advantage
The attention that the current state-based, winner-take-all method affords to battleground states is very clear during election years.
For example, in 2012, 29% of campaign events held after the Democratic and Republican conventions were in Ohio. Meanwhile, there were zero campaign events in 39 states. (1)
Advantages such as these are the crux of the problem with our current method of allocating electoral votes. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact addresses this issue by guaranteeing that every vote in every state will be politically relevant in every presidential campaign.
The compact would also protect against another, more sinister problem associated with the state-based, winner-take-all method as the battleground state advantage extends far beyond presidential campaigns and emerges in prioritizing federal assistance during times of crisis.
In the wake of Hurricane Frances, Florida’s Miami Dade County residents received $31 million in payments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The payments were earmarked for damages from the hurricane, despite the storm causing only minimal damage in the area. (2)
In 2010, President Obama sent a team of political and communication aides to states affected by the BP oil spill. Alabama and Mississippi received one aide each, Louisiana received “some,” and Florida received four. (3) Florida was least affected by the spill — collecting 73,341 pounds of oil residue compared to Louisiana’s 9,810,133 pounds. Despite this, Florida received the most attention from the White House. (4)
Today, in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century, battleground states once again are reaping the benefits of their electoral status.
The federal cache of equipment necessary to fight COVID-19 has been overrun with urgent requests. Colorado received just one day’s worth of supplies, Massachusetts has received 17% of its total request, and Maine received just 5%. Florida has been the exception and received all of its requested equipment on March 11 with an additional delivery of the same amount on March 23. Now, the state is expecting a third delivery. (5)
Not only does the state-based, winner-take-all method of allocating electoral votes disenfranchise four out of five Americans during the general election but it devalues their lives and prosperity during times of crisis.
No American should go without a ventilator because their state votes reliably in one direction or the other. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would ensure that your vote, your prosperity and your life are equal in the eyes of the federal government.
References
(1) Koza, John R., et al. Every Vote Equal: A State Based Plan for Electing the President by National Popular Vote, 4th ed., National Popular Vote Press, 2013, pp. 367–443. http://www.every-vote-equal.com/
(2) Fisher, William. “Did FEMA “Buy” Votes for Bush?” Inter Press Service. www.ipsnews.net, http://www.ipsnews.net/2005/09/politics-us-did-fema-buy-votes-for-bush/.
(3) Lee, Carol E. “W.H. Sends 2012 Rescue Team to Fla.” POLITICO. www.politico.com, https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40184.html.
(4) Amadeo, Kimperly. “BP Oil Spill Economic Impact.” The Balance. www.thebalance.com, https://www.thebalance.com/bp-gulf-oil-spill-facts-economic-impact-3306212.
(5) Goldstein, Amy, et al. “Desperate for Medical Equipment, States Encounter a Beleaguered National Stockpile.” Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/desperate-for-medical-equipment-states-encounter-a-beleaguered-national-stockpile/2020/03/28/1f4f9a0a-6f82-11ea-aa80-c2470c6b2034_story.html.