By State Rep. Cam Cavitt

Dear Michigan Voters,

A nationwide push to ensure U.S. presidents are elected by popular vote is gaining steam in the Michigan Legislature, with bills being proposed by Lansing Democrats.

Your vote matters and is worth fighting for. The National Popular Vote would disenfranchise every voter in the state. Under current law, whoever wins the most votes in the presidential election in Michigan gets all of the state’s electoral votes.  This is the only way to ensure the unique voice of Michigan citizens is represented when the Electoral College meets every four years.  If the National Popular Vote becomes law, Michigan’s electors would be assigned to whoever wins the national popular vote not to who Michigan voter’s support. Our state would be joining a compact with other states, which directly drowns out the voices of our citizens.

For example, let’s take a look at the 2020 election. Despite a record voter turnout of 5.5 million people in Michigan, the voter turnout in Los Angeles and New York City far surpassed that with 4.3 million and 3 million voters, respectively. If the National Popular Vote had been in place, Michigan citizens’ voices would have been drowned out, and their influence would have been diminished.

The National Popular Vote would allow large-population Democrat-heavy cities and states to overwhelm the rest of the country when choosing their president – this would be a catastrophe for Michigan. The will of Michigan citizens, and Michigan citizens only, should decide how our state’s electors cast their votes when the Electoral College meets. 

It is imperative that Michigan’s votes for U.S. president are determined solely by Michigan voters. The National Popular Vote proposals would permanently disenfranchise every voter in the state by forcing them to cast their presidential elector votes for whoever wins the national popular vote, even if the voters of Michigan overwhelmingly chose someone else.

As legislators, we must defend our constitution and the interests of Michigan. Therefore, I will work tirelessly to prevent the National Popular Vote proposals from being enacted in Michigan, and I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to preserve the unique voice of Michigan citizens in presidential elections.

State Rep. Cam Cavitt is in his first term in the Michigan House. Cavitt serves the 106^th House District, which includes Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle counties, and parts of Oscoda and Cheboygan counties.