Stamford Rep. Fox Supports Electing President By Popular Vote

STAMFORD, CT — State Rep. Dan Fox (D-148th) was among the legislators who recently voted in favor of House Bill 5421, which allows Connecticut to adopt the Interstate Compact to Elect the President of the United States by National Popular Vote. The bill now goes to the state Senate, and if approved there and then signed by Gov. Dannel Malloy, Connecticut would be the 11th state plus the District of Columbia to become a member.

“Our country was founded on the principle of one person, one vote, and yet the President of our democracy is decided by the Electoral College, a relic that needs to be relegated to history books,” said Fox, co-chair of the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee, in a statement.

“When our country was founded there was a notion that the citizens of America could not be entrusted with the direct election of the President, and the Electoral College was created. Today, that notion is absurd for most voters who want their votes to be counted and to know that they in fact elected the President,” he added.

From Fox's release:

Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, once it goes into effect the states therein choose to allocate their electoral votes to the candidate who garners the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact takes effect only when enough states sign on to guarantee that the national popular vote winner wins the presidency. This means that states with a combined total of 270 electoral votes—a majority of the Electoral College—must join the compact for it to take effect.

The legislation is a key part of the Democratic Values Agenda for the 2018 legislative session.

The agenda focuses on supporting the middle class and creating economic opportunities for everyone; opening access to education; protecting women’s health care; keeping Connecticut residents healthy; supporting Connecticut’s hospitals; and preserving our democracy.

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