Debbie Chandler, LWVFL Co-President and Dr. Jill Lewis-Spector, 2nd Vice President learned firsthand from LWVVUS directors and staff about a new, multi-decade effort with the goal of electing the US President and Vice President by popular vote.
The plan is divided into phases:
1. Reforming the way American Votes are tallied in Federal elections: Adopt National Popular Vote (NPV)
2. Observing public response to one person, one vote world
3. Exploring frameworks for change
4. Formalizing the abolition of the electoral college
In the first phase, the League will mobilize to pass “National Popular Vote” (NPV) using different tactics. Education will be key and all states will engage in it. Different states will engage differently depending upon whether they have passed NPV, have potential to pass NPV, or are unlikely to pass NPV (Florida). It will involve ground up communication with the message of one person, one vote.
LWVFL adopted NPV as an Issue in Action and moved it to be a program at the National level in 2020. Florida was successful in pushing it forward at the National Convention in Denver in 2022. Co-Presidents Cecile Scoon and Debbie Chandler worked with our Florida NPV Action Chair, Kathleen Crampton, to elevate this to a leading issue on the LWVUS program. The LWVUS board and administrators tried to squelch this effort using every technique they could, but with two lawyers in gear, we out maneuvered them and the body of attendees agreed with us wholeheartedly. It went from page 48 in LWVUS’ Program, where it got no attention, to the first page of LWVUS’ Program. Special congrats to Kathleen Crampton and Deb Mazzaferro who have worked diligently on this issue for years. Now it is one of the two leading issues for LWVUS. What a difference attending the Convention made to Florida and the entire nation.