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Letters from Roberta

Roberta Schlechter
Keep Our ​50 States
Volunteer NW Region Director
Oregon

 

Roberta Schlechter is a former legislative staffer in Oregon and Northwest Region (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington) Director of the Michigan-based KEEP OUR 50 STATES. She has advocated against the National Popular Vote since 2008. Opinions expressed are exclusively those of the Author.


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Roberta Schlechter
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​Copyright © 2021-2024, Roberta Schlechter

The League of Women Voters is Really Inconsistent

10/3/2023

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PictureThe League of Women Voters elects its OWN national President using Electors, similar to how the States have elected the President of the United States since George Washington! Their endorsement of the NPV is, at its best, "Inconsistent".
MICHIGAN

I am rebutting an Opinion column which appeared in BridgeMI by the League of Women Voters that endorses the National Popular Vote scheme.  That piece can be found at the link below.*


To the Editor:

League of Women Voters of Michigan (LWV-MI) co-presidents Hargsough and Bowman ask readers to embrace the philosophy that “every person has the desire, right and knowledge to participate and have their voice be heard” in national elections.

The LWV Uses an 'Electoral Vote'-type System to Elect Its Own national President!

Yet, LWV selects its own national officers by... wait for it... representative means. States send delegates to the LWV national convention, the number based on state dues paying members.  Specifically, for every fifty (50) dues-paying members of the LWV, the State and Local affiliate chapters get one vote to cast via a delegate attending their biennial national convention. A stunning 98% of the LWV membership do NOT get to vote for their own National LWV President!  So much for their philosophy that “every person has the desire, right and knowledge to participate and have their voice be heard” in national elections

Michigan Has NOT Been Ignored by EC Campaigning!

Contrary to their characterization of the current system is this: According to the Chicago Tribune, in the final three months of the 2020 Presidential Campaign, Presidential Candidates visited Michigan 22 TIMES. (Biden team: 12 times, Trump team: 10 times.) With a fully functioning Electoral College, Michigan was fully in play. Yet NPV  proponents argue that without the Compact, Michiganders somehow get overlooked.

NPV Violates the Michigan Constitution

But here’s the more critical argument. National Popular Vote has managed to get this far without much attention to the key issue of residency requirements stipulated in the state constitution. In Michigan, the state document contains a double whammy:
 ART 2, Sec. 1. “Every citizen of the United States... who has resided in this state six months...shall be an elector and qualified to vote...”
 And more explicitly: Sec. 3. Presidential electors; residence. “...The legislature shall not permit voting by any person who meets the voting residence requirements of the state to which he has removed.”

NPV Gives the Control of WHO Chooses Michigan's 15 Electors to NON-Michiganders

National Popular Vote is an attempted end-run around the US Constitution. But closer to home, it runs counter to the Michigan state Constitution. It would hand over control of Michigan presidential Electors to the winner of votes from millions who specifically do NOT satisfy Michigan residency requirements. Essentially NPV could turn Michigan Electors into the equivalent of “faithless electors.” NPR (July 2023) reported, "... Writing for the court, Justice Elena Kagan ... said Electoral College delegates have no ground for reversing the statewide popular vote.” 

Like all states, Michigan conducts two popular votes for every presidential election: primary and general. In 2020 a Michigander’s presidential vote was 1 among 5.5 million other Michiganders. Under NPV it would have been 1 in 158 million! Without the Electoral College to protect Michigan’s borders, even your single metropolitan area (ranked 14th nationwide) would have been small potatoes alongside the 114 million
people who live in larger urban areas.

I urge lawmakers to not be swayed by an attempted work around of the US Constitution. Please, look to your oath of office. Uphold allegiance to your constitution
and safeguard Michigan voters. No one else can.


Roberta Schlechter
Volunteer with Michigan-based KEEP OUR 50 STATES

* 
https://www.bridgemi.com/guest-commentary/opinion-pass-national-popular-vote-michigan-safeguard-democracy

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Leave a Reply.

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    Roberta SchlechTer

    FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,  when I first learned about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, I knew I needed to work hard against it and help inform lawmakers about the pitfalls of this Agreement among a few States.

    Having served as a legislative staffer and done lots of writing, I dove in.
    ​
    Today it’s WONDERFUL to be part of a vigorous TEAM that educates, encourages, equips and inspires people to jump in, to keep learning and to continue the campaign to defeat NPV. 
        - Roberta Schlechter
    ​

    I hope this page helps you to write letters to lawmakers or posts on social media. One piece of advice is to aim for a total of 300 words.
     
    On this page you will find:
     - Helpful Links
     - A sample “Don’t support NPV” letter 
     - Intros & conclusions for bills to 1) support the Electoral College and 2) Exit the NPV Compact 
     - Sample addendum to attach to legislative emails: additional facts and perspective about our election infrastructure, the Electoral College and NPV
     - Easiest ways to capture lawmaker email addresses into an email.

    ​YOU ARE WELCOME to use or adapt any statements made here for your own lobbying efforts.




    ​Roberta is the Northwest Region Director (Volunteer) for the 'Keep Our 50 States' grassroots group.

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