Momentum for a political movement that would impose a so called, National Popular Vote, is losing steam.

Only a year after Maine was added to the National Popular Vote interstate compact (NPV), a bipartisan majority in the Maine House of Representatives today passed legislation to remove the state from the compact. If enacted, LD 252 would make Maine the first state to repeal NPV.

Trent England, who founded Save Our States in 2009 to oppose NPV, offers this analysis:

“Maine lawmakers now understand how a NPV compact would generate more election confusion, games, less trust, and more litigation in presidential elections. NPV has no provisions for recounts or challenges but leaves every dispute open to interpretation by state and federal judges. NPV also conflicts with ranked-choice voting in a way that could lead to absurd, undemocratic results.

“Maine has an existing system of choosing presidential electors both by district and statewide. NPV would throw all of that tradition away and would silence the voices of many Maine voters. State lawmakers realized there is no value in becoming part of a multi-state, winner-take-all pact in a brazen attempt to manipulate the Electoral College.

“Maine voters deserve their voice. All voters deserve better than the poorly drafted NPV scheme. The Maine House deserves credit for reconsidering and rejecting NPV.”