Minnesota Governor Tim Walz recently stirred controversy during a California fundraiser when he suggested that the Electoral College should be eliminated in favor of a national popular vote. His comments, made at Governor Gavin Newsom’s home, prompted significant backlash, leading Walz to clarify his position just two days later in an interview with ABC’s Michael Strahan.
During the fundraiser, Walz stated, “I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go. We need a national popular vote, but that’s not the world we live in.” However, in his follow-up interview, he backtracked, emphasizing that the campaign’s official stance does not align with his earlier remarks. He reiterated, “the campaign’s position is clear, that that’s not their position,” stressing that every vote should count regardless of the state.
In 2023, Walz signed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which aims to ensure that states allocate their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the overall popular vote. This compact would only take effect if states with a combined total of at least 270 electoral votes commit to it.
A spokesperson for the Walz-Harris campaign clarified that Walz’s comments were made to supporters and emphasized the campaign’s strategy to secure 270 electoral votes, reiterating the importance of every vote in the Electoral College.
The Electoral College is the mechanism established in the U.S. Constitution, where each state has a specific number of electors who cast votes for the president and vice president. Most states award all their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote in that state, with Maine and Nebraska using a proportional system.
Walz’s comments and subsequent clarification highlight ongoing debates about the Electoral College’s effectiveness and calls for reform within the electoral process.