Wisconsin Republican Proposes Changing State's Electoral College Law

A Wisconsin Republican lawmaker is proposing that the state switch its distribution of electoral votes to district-based awards.

State Rep. Dan LeMathieu (R-Sheboygan County) emailed legislators Wednesday morning asking for support for a bill he filed to switch the state from winner-take-all electoral votes to distribution based on presidential candidates winning congressional districts, with only two electoral votes going to the statewide winner. The move follows the introduction of a similar proposal in Pennsylvania.

“This method would better protect the votes in each congressional district,” LeMathieu wrote. “If I live in a congressional district that votes for a candidate that loses the statewide vote this method would allow my district to cast a vote for the candidate the majority of the voters in that district supported. This method would also decrease the incentive for fraud because you would only be affecting the outcome of one congressional district and the two at large votes, instead of all ten votes.”

The Pennsylvania proposal was introduced last month by a Republican state legislator and has won support in the Republican-controlled legislature and from Gov. Tom Corbett (R). Eighteen of the state's electoral votes would be allocated based on votes in congressional districts and two would be based on statewide votes. An analysis in Mother Jones indicated that a switch in Pennsylvania could tip 12 electoral votes to the Republican presidential nominee with eight going Democratic, if the Democratic nominee captures the statewide popular vote.

No state has switched formats for the distribution of electoral votes since the 1800s. Currently Nebraska and Maine are the only states that allow for electoral votes to be distributed based on the winners of congressional districts. Wisconsin has 10 electoral votes and has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1988.

Wisconsin Democrats quickly countered LeMathieu. State Rep. Kelda Roys (D-Dane County) emailed legislative Democrats urging them not to co-sponsor LeMathieu’s bill and instead adopt the the national popular vote.

“Finally, this bill, if enacted, would make Wisconsin totally irrelevant in the presidential election,” Roys wrote. “With 2 of Wisconsin’s congressional districts likely to vote solidly Democratic, and 4 or 5 likely to vote solidly Republican due to the recent gerrymandering, there would be no reason for either major party nominee to spend any time or resources campaigning here or responding to our state’s needs.”

Comments

[ehennigan]

06:27 PM on 10/23/2011

And so it goes... The power struggle continues. Reminds me of the Wisconsin vs Michigan State football game yesterday.

Score was tie. One play left on the clock, too far for a field goal.

QB throws a Hail Mary to the goal line.

Ball is tussled about ON the goal line by both teams.

As one announcer said... the winner of the game was decided by a few team members from both teams muscling it out back and forth on the goal line as if "the winner would be decided upon by who [of those team members] wants to win the game more."

Ultimately, with 0 mins left, play was officially reviewed at length while all waited w/bated breath.

Difference is ... in American football, the team that lost would not be permitted to rewrite the rules and control who referees the game to suit their fancy.

Time for some BIG TIME public awareness work!

[Joeyjackal]

12:28 PM on 10/17/2011

My proposal that I have conveyed to the DNC to counteract the deliberate and concerted acts on the part of Republican-controlled state legislatures to disenfranchise and limit the number of eligible voting citizens is to have Democratic-controlled state legislatures introduce laws to require enforced, compulsory voting as many democracies require as a civic responsibility. Additionally, there ought to be a movement to add an amendment to our Constitution to eliminate ALL outside monies from political campaigns and to publicly finance them and to give qualified candidates free airtime as the airwaves are ultimately public domain to counteract the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United ruling to be financed by an elimination of the Bush tax cuts.

[Aurical]

06:16 AM on 10/14/2011

Explain to me again why anyone is surprised.

[Okey Umez]

04:27 AM on 10/14/2011

The funny thing about ideas is that everyone has them. The good, the bad and the utterly disgusting. This particular idea is so selfserving, it is called trying to win at all cost. These folks used to employ thugs to achieve election outcomes, now they are trying to co-opt the law. Talk about blatant arrogance.

[election2012]

02:26 AM on 10/14/2011

I wonder why 'Wisconsin' looks angry in the pic. Perhaps it is feeling ignored.

[Hugh Everett]

12:45 AM on 10/14/2011

The “Congressional District Method” is currently used in Nebraska and Maine, so the constitutionality of the process is already established.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_College_(United_States)#Congressional_District_Method

If traditional Blue States like WI, PA, MI, OH make these changes, its going to be difficult for a Democrat to ever win the White House again.

[ArbitorA]

12:44 AM on 10/14/2011

Republicans are pulling out all the stops to tilt the election away from Democrats.

If you think this is ugly, realize this is how corporations operate as well to tilt markets in their favor.

[Rogo99]

12:07 AM on 10/14/2011

Pennsylvania's R legislature is trying to do the same thing under the guise of the large cities on the ends (who historically vote D) having too much sway in the elections while the vast middle (who historically vote R) is underrepresented.

[Fred Hughes]

10:05 PM on 10/13/2011

The GOP is always trying to rig elections in some kind of way that gives them an advantage over other parties running aginst them. And then they are the first to accuse voters of fraud during the elections. They are the ones that are commiting the real fraud in our country. And in many cases, they have a rigged court system helping them. Maybe if they just worked for the people instead of the special interest, they wouldn't have to worry about being elected.

[gevanterd]

09:51 PM on 10/13/2011

this action should be taken in radical right wing states like texas, oklahoma, alabama, etc.

[fgrammit]

08:27 AM on 10/14/2011

texas has 34 electoral votes i dont think this would be good for Any election
to have this rigged for repubs

[Neaguy]

08:23 PM on 10/13/2011

Protecting against voter fraud? What fraud? LeMatheiu may live on this planet, but factually he is elsewhere.

[cog702]

07:26 PM on 10/13/2011

It's kinda funny in states that are in play the repuks want to change the rules to their advantage.

But in the really dumb red states where they are solid they don't want to change anything.

Stealing elections whether by supremo court edict, dibold voting machines or changing the election laws.... It's the republican way.

[election2012]

07:22 PM on 10/13/2011

I recently encountered a college graduate who was not aware of the Electoral College. She was still under the impression that individual, popular votes elect Presidents. I had a tough time getting through to her. I suspect many Americans do not understand the system.

[election2012]

07:15 PM on 10/13/2011

I'm all for gerrymandering. No, just kidding.

[WarriorLemming]

06:53 PM on 10/13/2011

Lessons To Teach Our Children For Life: If you can't win by following the rules--then make up your own rules.

The Republican/Tea Party who pride themselves as the "Moral Majority", astonishing!