WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Former Tennessee U.S. Senator and 2008 presidential candidate Fred Thompson (R), former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar (R), and former Iowa Governor Chet Culver (D) endorsed the National Popular Vote plan. They join a bi-partisan coalition working to ensure the presidency goes to the winner of the most overall popular votes in all 50 states.
“We live in a time when the American people are increasingly cynical about their government’s ability to deal with our most pressing problems,” said Thompson. “This means that there is a need for bold, effective presidential leadership as never before. Therefore, we simply can no longer afford to run the risk of having a president who is handicapped by not having won the most popular votes. The National Popular Vote approach offers the states a way to deal with this issue in a way that is totally consistent with our constitutional principles.”
“As a former high school government teacher, Secretary of State in charge of elections in Iowa, and governor, I have always worked hard to increase voter participation and ensure fairness in our electoral process,” said Culver. “The time has come for states to join together and support the simple premise that the individual who receives the most votes for President should become the next President of the United States. I first ran for office as a teacher and coach who wanted more young people to vote, and after I was elected Secretary of State we were able to take great strides to make elections more accessible to all. Voting systems across the country have been modernized, and we now have an opportunity to continue making progress by passing the national popular vote initiative to guarantee that the person who receives the most votes is elected to our nation’s most important elected office.”
”I’m proud that the state of Illinois was among the first to enact this plan,” added Edgar. “This isn’t a red state issue or a blue state issue; it’s about making sure every state has a voice in our presidential elections.”
The compact will go into effect when states representing 270 electoral votes have passed the legislation. The National Popular Vote bill has already been signed into law in seven states (Hawaii, Washington, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont and the District of Columbia) representing 29% of the necessary votes for the bill to go into effect.
Vermont is the most recent state to join the National Popular Vote compact. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed the bill into law in April of this year. In February, philanthropist Tom Golisano joined the effort as a national spokesperson.
“I wanted to take a leadership role in this campaign because I believe that every vote should count equally,” said Tom Golisano. “The president we choose represents this entire nation, and we should all count when making that choice. Our presidential election should truly be democratic. We are electing the president of the United States of America, not of the Battleground States of America,” said Golisano. “Polls show 75% of Americans want the presidential election to reflect the overall popular vote.”
Dr. John Koza, chairman of National Popular Vote, welcomed the new co-champions.
“The present system effectively disenfranchises voters in two-thirds of states, and makes some votes hundreds of times more important than others,” said Koza. “I welcome Sen. Thompson and Governors Culver and Edgar to the movement. Their involvement goes to show that this movement isn’t about ideology or geography, but about making every vote count.”