The top 10 most populated states have more than half of the total U.S. population. Because of that, if just the popular vote were used to elect a president, those 10 states would have more than 50 percent of the vote necessary to elect a president. These top 10 also include the largest metropolitan areas. Thirty-two states with a population of less than 6 million make up only 28 percent of the total U.S. population, yet they have 64 percent of the land.

I doubt that the desires of the metropolitan mass represent the needs of the more rural states such as Maine.

The founders of this nation understood the effect that growing metropolitan areas have on the smaller states when electing the top U.S. official. As a result, they put the Electoral College into the Constitution. The Electoral College helps to level the influence those smaller population states have on the presidential election with that of the more populated states.

If voters want Maine to have more influence over the presidential election, voters need to encourage their representatives to vote against LD 418.

It should be noted that the proposed legislation is not constitutional. Article 1.10.3 states, “Without the consent of congress, no state shall enter into any agreement or compact with another state or with a foreign power.”

Implementation of LD 418, the National Popular Vote compact, would diminish the influence Maine voters have on the presidential election. It should be voted down.

Jon Kirsch, Lisbon Falls

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