House Engrossed

electoral college; supporting

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2021

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

supporting the electoral college.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Whereas, the Electoral College is part of the United States Constitution's system of checks and balances, designed by the American Founders to ensure that the interests of smaller states, including states like Arizona, are not ignored; and

Whereas, the Electoral College provides a balance between rural and urban interests by ensuring that winning candidates have support from multiple regions of the country; and

Whereas, all states, including Arizona, currently allocate their electoral votes based on the vote of citizens within their state, which is an appropriate exercise of state legislative authority under Article II, section 1 of the United States Constitution; and

Whereas, the Founding Fathers explicitly rejected a national popular vote for president and instead created the Electoral College; and

Whereas, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an effort to nullify the Constitution's state-by-state process in order to create a de facto direct election for president; and

Whereas, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would diminish the importance of individual states in presidential elections and create the potential for nationwide recounts and federal takeovers of election administration; and

Whereas, under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, a state's electoral votes could be given away to a candidate who is opposed by the majority of the state's citizens; and

Whereas, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact appears to violate the United States Constitution, including the text of the Compact Clause and the intent of the Electoral College clauses.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

1. That the Members of the Legislature support the Electoral College and oppose any effort to repeal or nullify it, including the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

2. That the Members of the Legislature support the Governor and Attorney General of this state in any efforts to aggressively litigate against the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact should other states attempt to implement it.