THE WAY FOR A BIG CHANGE TO
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. A
LAWSUIT AIMS TO MAKE CALIFORNIA
AWARD ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES
PROPORTIONALLY.
KPIX 5 POLITICAL REPORTER
MELISSA CAEN JOINS US WITH HOW
THIS COULD HELP REPUBLICANS IN
CALIFORNIA.
FOR DECADES THERE HAVE BEEN
CALLS TO CHANGE THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE SYSTEM
AFTER THE 2016 ELECTION, THE
CALLS GOT MUCH LOUDER
AND WHILE A CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT WOULD BE ONE WAY TO
MAKE A CHANGE,
ONE GROUP IS TRYING TO DO IT
THROUGH THE COURTS
https:
[SOT-JASON HARROW, CHIEF
COUNSEL, EQUAL CITIZENS]
13:18:30
We need a better way to elect
the President. JOSH HARROW SAYS
THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF ELECTING A
PRESIDENT IS NOT EQUAL
AND THE PROBLEM IS THE STATES
[SOT-JASON HARROW, CHIEF
COUNSEL, EQUAL CITIZENS]
13:04:58
for many years, essentially
every state, including
California, has awarded all of
the electoral votes to the
winner of the state's popular
vote.
IT'S CALLED A "WINNER TAKE ALL"
SYSTEM, AND HE SAYS EVERY FOUR
YEARS IT ERASES MILLIONS OF
VOTES IN CALIFORNIA
THAT'S WHY A NONPROFIT CALLED
EQUAL CITIZENS IS SUING.
[SOT-JASON HARROW, CHIEF
COUNSEL, EQUAL CITIZENS]
13:06:28
there were over 4 million
republican votes for Donald
Trump in 2016, they were all
tossed out, right? The
Republican candidate Donald
Trump got zero electoral votes
from California. HIS GROUP WANT
ELECTORAL VOTES TO AWARDED
PROPORTIONALLY BASED ON THE
PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO VOTE
FOR THE CANDIDATE. HERE'S HOW
THAT MIGHT WORK:
[GFX 1 IN]
CALIFORNIA HAS 55 ELECTORAL
COLLEGE VOTES AND 2016, THEY ALL
WENT TO HILLARY CLINTON.
IF THE VOTES WERE DISTRIBUTED
PROPORTIONALLY THAT YEAR, SHE
WOULD HAVE GOTTEN 35 VOTES,
DONALD TRUMP WOULD HAVE GOTTEN
17 VOTES, LIBERTARIAN GARY
JOHNSON 2 AND GREEN PARTY
CANDIDATE JILL STEIN ONE. [GFX 1
OUT] AND FOR THOSE WHO DON'T
LIKE THE PROSPECT OF SO MANY
CALIFORNIA VOTES GOING TO A
REPUBLICAN - CONSIDER TEXAS
WHERE THE OPPOSITE WOULD HAPPEN
[GFX 2 IN]
THAT STATE HAS 38 ELECTORAL
COLLEGE VOTES AND A WINNER TAKE
ALL SYSTEM. DISTRIBUTED
PROPORTIOANLLY, IN 2016 TRUMP
WOULD HAVE GOTTEN 21 VOTES,
CLINTON 16 VOTES AND GARY
JOHNSON, 1 VOTE. [GFX 2 OUT]
EQUAL CITIZENS IS USING THE
COURTS TO TRY TO GET RID OF
WINNER TAKE ALL [SOT-JASON
HARROW, CHIEF
COUNSEL, EQUAL CITIZENS]
13:06:54
Our lawsuits say, equality means
equality. One person, one vote
means one meaningful vote and so
that's the legal theory that
we're operating under.
THE GROUP HAS FILED LAWSUITS IN
CALIFORNIA, MASSACHUSETTS, TEXAS
AND SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
ATTORNEY GENERAL XAVIER BECERRA
IS DEFENDING CALIFORNIA'S
SYSTEM. HE ARGUES: WHEN A
CANDIDATE GETS A MAJORITY VOTE,
WE DECLARE THEM THE WINNER -
THAT'S A CORNERSTONE OF AMERICAN
ELECTIONS
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS
MOVED TO DISMISS THE LAWSUIT
WE'RE EXPECTING A DECISION ON
THAT ANY DAY
HARROW SAYS IF THEY LOSE, THEY
WILL APPEAL ALL THE WAY TO THE
US SUPREME COURT
MELISSA CAEN , KPIX 5
A POLITICAL VICTORY FOR POLICE
