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HomeFree and Fair elections

Free and Fair Elections

Americans elect all officials, from mayors to governors and state legislators to U.S. senators, via popular vote, except two—the President and Vice President of the United States.

The League believes it is time electors are awarded based on the majority of Americans who agree on the person who should lead the nation. Acting in concert with the electoral system, we are working to educate the public and legislators about the benefits of legislation that would instruct our electors to vote for the presidential candidate who captures the most votes in all 50 states. The League of Women Voters has supported direct election of the President since 1970, believing that popular vote is essential to representative government.

The League of Women Voters of Colorado and of La Plata County supports the direct popular vote method for electing the President and Vice-President.



Colorado Will Join the National Popular Vote Compact As Voters Approve Proposition 113

CPR News, By Megan Verlee  November 4, 2020

Colorado is officially part of the movement to sideline the Electoral College. Preliminary results show voters choosing to keep the state in the National Popular Vote Compact by a margin of 52 to 48.

States that sign on to the National Popular Vote Compact agree to assign their presidential electors to the candidate who gets the most votes nationally, not the winner of the statewide vote. The catch is that it only goes into effect once enough states have joined to ensure that they will control the outcome of the election.

Including Colorado, the compact has been signed by states that collectively represent 196 Electoral College votes, 74 shy of the 270 needed to win the presidency. Read More...


Maine Becomes First State to Use Ranked-Choice Voting in a Presidential Election

System faces fresh test on national stage, including in tight race that could determine which party controls the Senate  By   Jon Kamp  Oct. 30, 2020 The Wall Street Journal

Maine is breaking new ground as the first state to use ranked-choice voting in a presidential race, putting the system under a spotlight in a national election complicated by the pandemic and other factors.

The voting method will also be used for Republican Sen. Susan Collins’s competitive reelection contest. The outcome of the race between her and Democratic rival Sara Gideon will help decide which party controls the U.S. Senate.

Maine’s system lets voters pick candidates for national office in order of preference in races with at least three contenders. That applies this year, when the ballot includes five people running for president and three challengers vying to unseat Ms. Collins.

The ranked-choice process is like a runoff, except voters make all their decisions up front rather than in another election. The process is used in several U.S. cities, and some states use it in primaries. The system requires the winner to reach 50% support. Read More...