Proposition 113 Approved, Colorado's Presidential Electoral Votes Could Still Go To Winner Of National Popular Vote
(CBS4) - Colorado voters have chosen to keep a law passed by state Democrats on the books that would commit the state's presidential electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. The results became official on Wednesday afternoon. Proposition 113 was approved, thus the law stands. This is the first time a state that joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact has had that move challenged at the ballot box.
ELECTION RESULTS: See updated results from the 2020 general election in Colorado
Gov. Jared Polis signed the legislation into law in March 2019 and Republicans quickly got the repeal initiative on the ballot.
"There was an intense grassroots effort to get it on the ballot, which was no small feat, and the former House Speaker Frank McNulty kind of led that charge," said CBS4 political analyst Dick Wadhams, a Republican. "For whatever reason, though, that financial support for the defeat of the (national popular vote movement here), never showed up and so they they were not able to put together as much of a campaign like the proponents of national popular vote. And so as a result, it was kind of one sided in terms of the public debate."
The compact wouldn't take effect until states with a collective 270 electoral votes -- the number needed to win the presidency -- agree to join.
"I think you'll see other blue states try to do the same thing if they haven't already," said CBS4 political analyst Mike Dino, a Democrat.
So far, the compact includes 196 electoral votes.
"It's far from being a done deal," Wadhams said. "But even if they get to the 270 electoral votes they need to put it into effect there are a lot of constitutional questions around it and there will be constitutional challenges if it gets above 270."
Watch CBS4's Reality Check on an ad from supporters of Proposition 113:
Read the bill text.
Mike Dino is a Democratic government affairs expert with more than 30 years of experience. He was the CEO of the 2008 Democratic National Convention Host Committee where President Obama received his historic nomination. Dino also served as the executive director of Denver's Task Force for the 1997 Summit of the Eight.
Dick Wadhams is Republican political consultant who has worked with former Colorado Senator Wayne Allard and former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens. He also worked on John Thune's upset victor over then United States Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in South Dakota. Wadhams was elected as the Chair of the Colorado Republican Party in 2007 and 2009.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
