On March 4, 2019, an article was published about the effort in the Nevada State Assembly to join a compact with other states to, in essence, remove the role of the electoral college in electing the President of the United States.
In response to this article, I sent the following letter, with small modifications, to my elected representatives: Govoner Steve Sisolak, Assembly person Sandra Jaurequi, and Senator Keith Pickard. Enjoy,
Dear Representative:
I’m writing to you to express my view of Assembly Bill 186 that would implement “The Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote.” I am a constituent in your district.
This bill came to my attention based on an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal by Colton Lochhead, which was published on March 4th and my reading of the bill from the NELIS website (https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/6289/Text). I believe this agreement is a horrible idea for our nation. And, I encourage you to use your position and energy to defeat this bill.
I based my belief in the weaknesses of human behavior and decision making for the society, and a crucial element for democracy to continue successfully. The relevant weaknesses is human overconfidence. The crucial element for democracy’s success is the power of the minority voices to be heard.
As a society, we have many areas where we implement rules that mitigate over confidence in our fellow citizens. A prime example is requiring a jury to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt by a 12-0 vote, not a majority opinion. Majority rule, in its worse actualization, is mob rule. And, in judging the guilt of a fellow citizen, and electing a president to lead us all, the society should demand a higher standard than simple majority vote—especially a majority vote by people who are not Nevada citizens. I cannot think of a better way to drown out the voice of Nevada citizens that to defer its votes to a majority of votes who are outside the Nevada jurisdiction.
If you’d prefer a change to the current allocation of Nevada’s Presidential Electors, then allocate electors in the manner that the US constitution allocates Nevada electors. Two electoral votes based on the state-wide vote totals, like our US Senators, and four electoral votes, each based on the congressional districts currently applied in the state. In this manner, the voices of Nevada voters are heard in their complete diversity, which is a necessary component to keeping the faith of the citizens and encouraging democracy participation—A most important goal.
Thank you
Aaron D. Jackson
