Former Presidential Nominee Dukakis, Press Conference

Pam Wilmot

(617) 426-9600

Former Presidential Nominee Michael Dukakis, Rep. Charley Murphy, other Members and supporters of National Popular Vote call for better method of selecting a President

BOSTON (December 11, 2008) Immediately prior to the meeting of the Electoral College, supporters of a National Popular Vote will hold a press conference to call for implementation of a new method of selecting a President.

Legislation has been enacted into law in four states-Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, and Hawaii. It passed both chambers of the Massachusetts legislature near the end of formal sessions in July but was one “enactment” vote shy of going to the desk of Governor Deval Patrick. Governor Patrick supports the bill.

The National Popular Vote legislation uses the existing constitutional authority of the states to select Presidential electors and another clause in the U.S. Constitution that enables states to enter into legally enforceable joint agreements to elect the President. Under the National Popular Vote compact, states agree to give all of their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote in all 50 states, thereby guaranteeing the popular vote winner a supermajority in the Electoral College. The agreement would take effect only when identical legislation has been enacted by states collectively possessing a majority of the Electoral College- that is 270 of the 538 electoral votes, roughly equal to half of the population, and most likely around 25 states. Currently compacting states represent 50 electoral votes.

Press Conference

What: Press Conference

Who: Governor Michael Dukakis, Rep. Charley Murphy, Rep. Garrett Bradley, Rep. Alice Peisch, Rep. Jamie Eldgridge, Senator Anthony Petruccelli, Senator Ed Augustus, other members, Pam Wilmot of Common Cause, Avi Green of Mass Vote, James Cofield of the Black Political Task Force, others

Date: Monday, December 15, 2008

Time: 2:00- 2:40 p.m.

Place: Room 222, State House Boston

About Common Cause

Common Cause Massachusetts is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, government watchdog, dedicated to citizen participation in an open, honest, and accountable government. An independent, member-supported organization, Common Cause has more than 200,000 members nationwide and 10,000 in Massachusetts.