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Democrats Eye Bypassing Electoral College by 2028
· Confirmed
In Short: Democrats' midterm victories have brought them closer to bypassing the Electoral College through the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
Following the midterm elections, Democrats have won control of key state legislatures, bringing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact closer to the 270 electoral votes needed to take effect.
The compact, already approved by 18 states and Washington, D.C., has 222 electoral votes pledged to it, according to the Dailywire.
The compact would require participating states to award their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner, regardless of the state-level outcome.
Some critics argue that bypassing the Electoral College could alter the constitutional balance of powers.
The stunning electoral results were the culmination of a months-long effort by Democrats to make the high cost of living a central campaign issue.
A YouGov poll from June 2026 showed that 56% of adults think a president should be elected by popular vote, not the Electoral College.
If these states join the compact, they would provide enough electoral votes to activate it, potentially bypassing the Electoral College by 2028.
What this adds
The compact's constitutionality remains unresolved.
The shift in political power reflects a strategic move to leverage electoral participation to change the balance of power in Congress.
Background
Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar, noted that the Supreme Court has described the constitutional system as a 'finely wrought' balance of powers, suggesting that bypassing the Electoral College could alter this equilibrium.
An electoral college is a body of representatives empowered to formally select a candidate for a specific office, most often the head of state. Electoral colleges exist in several countries and may serve to balance regional representation or ensure indirect election mechanisms.
What's confirmed
- Following the midterm elections, Democrats have won control of key state legislatures, bringing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact closer to the 270 electoral votes needed to take effect.
- The compact, already approved by 18 states and Washington, D.C., has 222 electoral votes pledged to it, according to the Dailywire.
- The compact would require participating states to award their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner, regardless of the state-level outcome.
- Some critics argue that bypassing the Electoral College could alter the constitutional balance of powers.
- The stunning electoral results were the culmination of a months-long effort by Democrats to make the high cost of living a central campaign issue.
- A YouGov poll from June 2026 showed that 56% of adults think a president should be elected by popular vote, not the Electoral College.
- If these states join the compact, they would provide enough electoral votes to activate it, potentially bypassing the Electoral College by 2028.
What's still developing
- Moreover, Trump’s attempt to hold onto power on January 6, 2021 by sending a violent mob to stop the certification of the electoral votes could never have happened if the president were chosen by a simple majority.
- There are currently 538 electors in the Electoral College; presidents win with a simple majority of 270 electors.
- The party also scored significant Senate victories in South Carolina and North Carolina and made further gains as voters delivered an electoral setback to President Donald Trump’s Republicans.
- In 2017, the first big electoral test of Trump’s first term, Democrats flipped 15 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates, and control of the chamber came down to a single district.
- And somehow, despite this flagrant lawlessness, he had won more convincingly than ever before, winning not only the Electoral College but also, for the first time, the popular vote, thanks in part to unprecedented gains with Black, Latino, and young voters, particularly men.
- Donald Trump's electoral setback might give New Delhi and Washington space to reset relations, but there is no guarantee that the US will actually change its approach to India.
- There are leaders remembered for their soaring political rhetoric, others for electoral victories, and some for the institutions they leave behind.
- Smiley had already voted early and encouraged others to participate in the electoral process, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
- The shift reflects a political calculation: demonstrations can express public dissatisfaction, but electoral participation can change the balance of power in Congress and increase pressure on the administration.
- However, its political character has been contested, with some critics arguing that its activities align closely with Democratic electoral interests.