Maine’s alignment with the National Popular Vote Compact (NPV Compact) is back in the legislature this session with LD 252. The move to join had been debated in Maine’s legislature multiple times before finally being adopted, without the Governor’s signature, last year under LD 1578.
The NPV Compact is currently 61 electoral votes shy of the majority needed to elect presidents by national popular vote. If that threshold is crossed, LD 1578 declares that Maine’s custom of dividing its electoral college votes between its two congressional districts and the statewide popular vote winner would stop and those votes would, instead, all go to the national popular vote winner.
The current bill, An Act to Withdraw from the National Popular Vote Compact, was sponsored by Republican Representative Bagshaw of Windham and co-sponsored with Republican Representatives Faulkingham of Winter Harbor, Adams of Lebanon, Collins of Sidney and Cooper of Windham.
Representatives Bagshaw, Faulkingham and Adams had all been present to vote against joining the compact in 2024 however, Representatives Collins and Cooper had not been elected yet. While Representative Collins’s predecessor had also opposed the NPV Compact, Cooper’s Democrat predecessor voted in favor of joining the compact before leaving office.
LD 252 was referred to the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee for consideration and their April 14th public hearing had over 50 public comments. Following their April 28th workshop, the committee put forward a divided report for the legislature with a majority in favor of leaving the compact.
MAJ – Ought To Pass
Senator Craig Hickman of Kennebec, Chair (D)
Representative David Boyer of Poland (R)
Representative Quentin Chapman of Auburn (R)
Senator Jill Duson of Cumberland (D)
Representative Ann Fredericks of Sanford (R)
Representative Sharon Frost of Belgrade (U)
Representative Benjamin Hymes of Waldo (R)
Senator Jeff Timberlake of Androscoggin (R)
MIN – Ought Not To Pass
Representative Laura Supica of Bangor, Chair (D)
Representative Sean Faircloth of Bangor (D)
Representative Anne Graham of North Yarmouth (D)
Representative Marc Malon of Biddeford (D)
Representative Parnell Terry of Gorham (D)
Despite the committee’s split decision, the House passed LD 252 on May 20th. The 76 to 71 decision to not accept the minority report sent the bill to the senate, where it was promptly tabled. The senate had passed the bill to join the compact 18 to 12 with 5 senators not present. Of those that voted, the decision to join the NPV Compact broke along party lines with 3 exceptions. Republican Senator Matt Pouloit of Kennebec voted to join the compact before leaving office and Democrat Senators Craig Hickman of Kennebec and Jill Duson of Cumberland voted against the compact.
If the House vote is an indication, then a senate vote will likely see no movement between who opposed or supported the NPV Compact last year. Also, like the House, the decision to withdraw or not from the NPV Compact will likely come down to the 11 senators either absent or not in office for last years vote to join.
Senators absent or not in office for passage of LD 1578:
Bruce Bickford (R-Androscoggin)
Richard Bradstreet (R-Kennebec)
Stacey K. Guerin (R-Penobscot)
Teresa S. Pierce (D-Cumberland)
Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Cumberland)
On May 29th the senate moved LD 252 from Tabled to Unfinished Business, keeping the bill alive for when the legislature reconvenes after the summer break.
–TMP
More from The Maine Polis on the NPV Compact
June 24, 2023
TMP Podcast #15 – The Problem with the National Popular Vote Compact & Why It Won’t Work In Maine
June 8th, 2019
TMP Write Up: Move To Elect President With National Popular Vote Fails in Maine House
April 7th, 2019
TMP Write Up: Committee Divided on National Popular Vote Bill
March 3, 2019
TMP Write UP: An Act To Implement the National Popular Vote for President Divides Committee