Colo. Weighs Proportional Electoral Vote

Colo. weighs proportional electoral votes

DENVER (AP) — A plan to scrap the winner-take-all system of allocating electoral votes in Colorado is heading to the ballot in November.

If passed, Amendment 36 would make Colorado the first state to allocate electoral votes proportionately according to the popular vote, rather than giving a winner all of the state's electoral votes.

Secretary of State Donetta Davidson said Friday that supporters have gathered enough signatures to put the measure on the November ballot.

If the proposal had been in place four years ago, Democrat Al Gore would have earned enough electoral votes to go to the White House.

Only two other states do not have winner-take-all systems of casting electoral college votes. Nebraska and Maine give two votes to the winner of each state, and remaining votes are cast to show who won each congressional district.

Republican Gov. Bill Owens and Republican State Party Chairman Ted Halaby have criticized the Colorado proposal, saying it would lessen the state's clout in presidential elections. They warn that candidates will ignore the state and its nine electoral votes if the measure passes.

Julie Brown, campaign director for the Make Your Vote Count effort that supports the measure, dismissed their concerns.

"It begs the question on which is more important — a two-hour presidential stop at a tarmac at Denver International Airport or true representation by the voters."

Katy Atkinson, a spokeswoman for the opposing Coloradans Against a Really Stupid Idea, promised to challenge the measure if it passes and it is applied in this year's presidential race.

The proposal's backers want it to take effect immediately, before Colorado's electoral votes are cast in December.

"They are ripe for a court challenge on this," Atkinson said. "If this is a close race like the one four years ago, we could be thrown into a situation where we are the Florida of 2004. We'd be the laughing stock of the country. All those Florida jokes would be applied to Colorado."

State Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, tried unsuccessfully in 2001 to change Colorado's electoral system. He said the new ballot initiative is a good idea.

"It will give voters the unique opportunity to reform an outdated electoral system that disenfranchises hundreds of thousands of Colorado voters," he said.

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

change is good.

i'd heard about this and wondered if it was true.

i hope it catches on.

...yeah...if you can't get rid of the elctoral college...at least have it work in your favor....

yeah, i heard about this too....great idea....the electoral college is pure bullshit. Theres nothing democratic about it...

Another thing I've heard about our election system is that the republicans (through republican run court systems) have re-drawn district lines unfairly in the past 30-40 years...they basically lump large amounts of democratic votes in one district, and they spread republican votes to inlcude many districts...and what results are lots of close district races going to republicans while the democrats only win a few districts with landslide victories....this is called jerry-mandering and it should be illegal but the republican court systems dont agree.

They did that jerry-mandering in Texas recently which would help Texas put 6(?) more republican in house seats next year. This case is going to the high court soon.

I was hearing about the Colorado proposal, and with Colorado being a traditionally republican state it sounds like it will not pass. But they are saying Colorado could actually turn into a swing state with polls showing it is close this year. If the state went to Kerry, this proposal would have a good chance at passing too. But at the same time it could hurt Kerry if they spilt the electoral votes in such a close race. I think its a great idea, but it also could be a double edges sword if things played out how in said way.

If this did pass this year and came into play in electing the next president it will turn into such a mess.

I wouldn't be surprised to see more states starting to do this soon.

and what a fucking stupid name for the opposing side..."Coloradans Against a Really Stupid Idea"