HCR 42 – FINAL VERSION

2012 SESSION

12-2816

03/09

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 42

A RESOLUTION supporting the preservation of the electoral college.

SPONSORS: Rep. Itse, Rock 9

COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs

ANALYSIS

This concurrent resolution expresses support for preserving the electoral college and opposition to an interstate compact to elect the President of the United States by national popular vote.

12-2816

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twelve

A RESOLUTION supporting the preservation of the electoral college.

Whereas, the Constitutional method of electing the President of the United States through the Electoral College was the method deemed best by the founding fathers of the United States of America for ensuring state sovereignty because all States, both large and small, are included in the presidential election process; and

Whereas, the mechanism of the Electoral College is one of the last remaining provisions of the Constitution for the United States preserving the balance of power and authority between the government of the United States and governments of the States; and

Whereas, the Electoral College has been tested and proven itself over 56 presidential elections as the method to best preserve our representative form of government resulting in the election of a President by a majority of electoral votes not a mere plurality; and

Whereas, the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact” if successfully implemented would eviscerate the constitutional Electoral College process of electing the President of the United States; and

Whereas, the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact” would radically change the way we elect our President through a questionable legal maneuver by changing the rules of presidential elections via a compact between as few as 12 States instead of the normal 38 States needed to amend the Constitution; and

Whereas, under the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact,” a nonmember State’s electoral votes are irrelevant because member States’ electoral votes would number 270 or more and they would award their votes to the national popular voter winner, effectively destroying the Electoral College; and

Whereas, the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact” would undermine authority of the States and give more populated media markets power over the voice of the States; and

Whereas, the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact” violates Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 which prohibits any State from entering into Agreement or Compact with another State without the consent of Congress; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the State of New Hampshire opposes this attempt to undermine the Constitution for the United States and the Electoral College by way of the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact;” and

That the electoral votes of any State ought only to reflect the will of the citizens of that State; and

That the State of New Hampshire does fully endorse retaining the constitutionally approved and time-tested Electoral College method of awarding electoral votes to candidates to win the office of President of the United States of America; and

That the Legislature of the State of New Hampshire strongly encourages Legislatures and Governors of its co-States to reject the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact;” and

That copies of this resolution be transmitted by the house clerk to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the Senate of the United States, and each State’s Governor and the presiding officers of their Legislatures.

Approved: May 2, 2012