A bill that could change how Colorado awards its electoral votes for president is halfway to the governor’s desk after clearing the state House on Tuesday. House Bill 1299 would make Colorado the fifth state to join an interstate compact in which members agree to award their presidential electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, regardless of which candidate won the state.
The bill won approval Tuesday in the House 34-29. Three Democrats — Reps. Jeanne Labuda of Denver, Sal Pace of Pueblo and John Soper of Thornton — joined Republicans in voting against the bill. The compact goes into effect only if the member states make up 270 electoral votes, enough to conclusively sway the election. So far the four states on board — Illinois, Hawaii, New Jersey and Maryland — account for 50 electoral votes. Colorado has nine electoral votes. Gov. Bill Ritter has not taken a public position on the bill.
John Ingold, The Denver Post
