SB 197

Currently, the names of the presidential electors do not appear on the ballot in

this state. Instead, the names of the candidates for president and vice president

appear on the ballot and each vote cast for one of the tickets is a vote for the

presidential electors whose names are filed by their political party or, in the case of

independent candidates, whose names are filed with the nomination papers of the

candidates. After the winners of the presidential election in this state are

determined, the presidential electors convene and cast their ballots for the

candidates of the party who filed their names or for the independent candidates who

filed their names.

This bill ratifies an agreement among the states which provides that if the

agreement governs a particular presidential election, this state will certify the

electors of the party, or in the case of independent candidates, the electors of the

candidates, who win the national popular vote for president and vice president as the

winning slate of presidential electors in this state. Under the agreement, the

Elections Commission must certify to the other states the winners of the presidential

and vice presidential vote in this state and must accept the determinations of the

chief election officials of the other states in calculating the numbers of votes cast for

the presidential and vice presidential candidates in their states. The agreement

governs the election of presidential electors in this state in any year in which the

agreement is, on July 20, in effect in states cumulatively possessing a majority of

electoral votes.