Just last year, Maine—one of only two states that apportions its Electoral College votes—opted to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
But the New England state is now poised to exit the compact, which would kick in only if enough states voted to reach the magic 270 electoral votes required to elect a president. While the state has only four electoral votes, a departure would mark a significant first in a compact currently with 17 states and the District of Columbia.
“We were the first state in the nation to split our Electoral College votes by congressional district—a system that reflects our political diversity and values, every voice, whether rural or urban,” said Maine state Rep. Barbara Bagshaw, sponsor of the bill to withdraw from the compact, which passed the House on Tuesday on a bipartisan vote, and now heads to the state Senate,
