Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill reaffirming support for the electoral college system used in presidential elections.
In a veto letter to state House Speaker Ben Toma, Hobbs said that a bill was not the correct method for lawmakers to voice their perspective on the system.
“This bill, which solely expresses legislative opinion and does not make or change substantive policy, would be better served as a House Resolution,” the governor said Wednesday.
“Indeed, a number of members who voted in support of this bill have previously sponsored legislation to support the “National Popular Vote,” showing just how quickly legislative opinion can change,” Hobbs continued.
The Republican-backed House Bill 2477 said that support for the electoral college is necessary because the founding fathers developed the process. Opponents of the electoral college argue that lesser populated states like Wyoming and Montana get an unfairly large say in who gets to be president.
“The electoral college ensures that all parts of the country are involved in selecting the president of the United States,” the bill said.
“The electoral college guarantees certainty to the outcome of the presidential election,” the bill added.
As there has been an effort to push for the national popular vote to be honored through the primarily Democratic-backed National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, in which states would give their electors to whoever wins the most votes nationwide. According to Ballotpedia, sixteen states, which are mostly liberal-leaning, have passed some sort of legislation regarding support for the popular vote.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
