Putting Oregon on the best path forward starts with bolstering our democracy. That means fighting every effort to undermine it — and today, we took one more step in doing just that.
This week I proudly signed and celebrated the historic passage of Oregon’s National Popular Vote bill, joining 15 other jurisdictions across the country in ensuring that every single voice is heard.
The bill ensures that the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes wins. It works by creating a nonpartisan agreement among states to award all their electoral votes collectively to that presidential candidate.
It sounds simple, but is a crucial piece toward protecting the sanctity of U.S. elections. Every voter in Oregon, and beyond, must know that their individual vote matters. That it counts.
Over the past several years, we’ve seen our voting system fail us. The current Electoral College is grounded in state laws that distribute electoral college votes on a “winner-takes-all” basis. That means presidential candidates concentrate their resources on only a handful of swing states, instead of hearing from, and reaching out to, every state and community they would represent as President.
Popular vote would encourage candidates to spend more time in states like Oregon, speaking directly to our voters about the issues that matter most to us. We must ensure that Oregon values become part of the national discussion in presidential campaigns.
We have so much to be proud of in Oregon. While other states are rolling back voting rights, we’ve led the way. Vote by mail and Oregon’s Automatic Voter Registration system have resulted in one of the highest voter participation rates in the country.
But we live in a fast-paced world and politics is often at the center, so we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Let’s continue to vigorously fight to safeguard our elections, so that when we say — your vote is your voice — we mean it.
