[EL] Kansas ballot

[Mark Schmitt]

This raises an interesting (although probably theoretical) problem for 
National Popular Vote, doesn't it? If they were to deny Obama a spot on 
the Kansas ballot, it would certainly have no impact on the electoral 
vote (if Obama could win Kansas,he would already be in Reagan/'84 
territory.)

But it could have a huge impact on the popular vote. Obama got 515,000 
votes in Kansas in 2008 -- more than the popular vote margin in several 
recent presidential elections.

If a state official could knock a major party candidate off the ballot 
in any one state, it would presumably cripple the NPV process. States 
that had supported the loser would want to break the compact, etc.

I thought the line in the GOP platform that NPV would make "every ballot 
box in every state ... a chance to steal the presidency" was probably 
the single worst argument against NPV imaginable. But if you reframe it 
as, it would give every state election official a chance to steal the 
presidency," that makes more sense -- if you think that something like 
Kobach's move is really possible. Of course, a state official could also 
affect the electoral college if he removed Obama from the ballot in New 
York or Romney in Texas, but it's obviously more plausible in a state 
where the candidate is very unpopular.


On 9/14/2012 12:42 PM, Richard Winger wrote:
> http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/09/14/kansas-state-officials-suggest-that-president-obamas-name-is-not-certain-to-be-on-ballot/
>
> Richard Winger
> 415-922-9779
> PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147
>
>
>
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