# What This Bill Actually Does: Eliminating the Electoral College

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would fundamentally change how Americans elect their president and vice president. Instead of the current system where each state gets electoral votes based on its population, this amendment would switch to a direct popular vote. That means whoever gets the most votes from individual Americans across the entire country would win the presidency, period.

Right now, a candidate can win the presidency even if they lose the overall popular vote—this has happened five times in U.S. history. Under this amendment, that couldn't happen anymore. Every vote would count equally, whether you live in California, Wyoming, or anywhere in between. A vote in a small state would have the same weight as a vote in a large state, which is very different from today's system where candidates focus heavily on a handful of competitive "swing states" while largely ignoring states they're expected to win or lose by large margins.

For this amendment to become law, it would need to pass both the House and Senate with two-thirds majorities, then be ratified by three-fourths of the states. That's a high bar—it means this change would require broad agreement across the country. If it did pass, the practical effect would be that presidential campaigns would look completely different. Candidates would need to appeal to voters everywhere, not just in Ohio or Pennsylvania. Rural areas and small states would have less outsized influence, while the overall popular will of American voters would become the sole determining factor in who becomes president.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.

Merkley, Jeff

 <p><strong></strong>This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the President and Vice President to be jointly elected directly by the people of the states and the District of Columbia over the age of 18.</p>