It's hard to believe it's almost been four years since Barack Obama stood in Chicago's Grant Park and celebrated his victory in the 2008 Presidential Election. But here we are, just four months away from another political showdown on the grandest scale, and some polls are showing a deadlock. Literally.
Both the Washington Post and the Huffington Post reported over the last few days that the possibility of a 269-269 split of Electoral College votes is a remote but real possibility in November.
Here's how it would work: If Romney takes all the states that John McCain claimed in 2008 plus swing states Indiana (11 electoral votes), Virginia (13), North Carolina (15), Florida (29), Ohio (18), and New Hampshire (4), he would reach 270, the number needed to claim the presidency. However, Obama could secure one electoral vote in Nebraska, as he did in 2008, which would bring both nominee's totals to 269. A tie in the Electoral College is passed to the newly-elected House of Representatives.
The Washington Post's election map shows Obama with 196 solid electoral votes and 41 leaning his way. They allocate Romney with 170 and 36 leaning. That leaves 95 toss-up votes. The Huffington Post, however, has already given 263 votes to Obama and 191 to Romney with 84 undecided.
In the 2004 general elections, 48 percent of Pierce County voted for George W. Bush, and in 2008, 54 percent helped elect Obama.
Are you paying close attention to the presidential election already? How do you think the elections will play out this year? Tell us in the comments.
Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections. When the bill is enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes– enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538), all the electoral votes from the enacting states would be awardedto the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and DC. The bill uses the power given to each state by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution to change how they award their electoral votes for President. Historically, virtually all of the major changes in the method of electing the President, including ending the requirement that only men who owned substantial property could vote and 48 current state-by-state winner-take-all laws, have come about by state legislative action. The bill has passed 31 state legislative chambers in 21 states. The bill has been enacted by 9 jurisdictions (including California) possessing 132 electoral votes - 49% of the 270 necessary to go into effect. NationalPopularVote Follow National Popular Vote on Facebook via NationalPopularVoteInc