Texas Senate Bill SB130

Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Caption

Relating to the adoption of the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote.

Impact

If enacted, SB130 would adjust the electoral process within Texas by tying the appointment of the state's presidential electors to the national popular vote. The bill establishes clear guidelines for how states must operate when participating in this compact, including reporting vote counts to ensure transparency and consistency across member states. This could lead to significant changes in how votes are interpreted and counted during presidential elections, as states would rely on aggregated national totals rather than their own individual electoral outcomes.

Summary

SB130 proposes the adoption of the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote, which aims to create a system in which the president and vice president of the United States are elected based on the national popular vote rather than the current electoral college system. This bill mandates that each member state conduct a statewide popular election for these federal offices, thereby fundamentally altering the mechanism of presidential elections in those states joining the agreement.

Contention

There are notable points of contention surrounding SB130, primarily concerning the constitutionality and practical implications of shifting to a national popular vote system. Critics may argue that this approach undermines the foundation of state representation, as smaller states could lose influence in the electoral process compared to larger states. Proponents of the bill, however, contend that the current electoral college system can lead to unequal representation and that a national popular vote would ensure that every vote carries equal weight across the country, emphasizing the democratic principle of 'one person, one vote'.