Virginia Joins Popular Vote Compact

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation awarding the state's 13 presidential electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, not the winner in Virginia.

Catch up quick:

• The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement among states to collectively assign their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote
• It only activates when participating states control at least 270 electoral votes combined
• Virginia's addition brings the compact to 222 electoral votes—still 48 short of the trigger

State of play: Until that 270-vote threshold is hit, the law sits dormant. Member states, including Virginia, continue awarding electors based on their own state results. Nothing changes for the next election cycle unless more states sign on.

What this means for elections: If the compact ever activates, a Virginia voter's presidential preference gets folded into a national tally rather than determining Virginia's electors directly. Critics—including the Virginia Republican Party—argue that effectively cancels out the state-level vote. Supporters counter that it makes every individual vote count equally regardless of which state the voter lives in.

What they're saying:

• Virginia GOP: "Fake Moderate Spanberger just signed a bill to render Virginians' vote for president NULL AND VOID"
• Stand Up America Executive Director Christina Harvey: "The presidency should be won by the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide—not just the right combination of battleground states"
• National Popular Vote spokesperson Patrick Rosenstiel: "The compact is 48 electoral votes short of reaching the 270 required to activate it"

The legal question: The Virginia GOP called the move "an unconstitutional assault on our democracy." The compact has faced legal scrutiny for years—critics argue it conflicts with the Constitution's framework giving state legislatures authority over how electors are appointed, and that it may require Congressional approval as an interstate compact affecting federal elections. No court has definitively ruled on it.

Between the lines: Spanberger also signed a package of bills the same day that includes a ban on so-called assault weapons and restrictions on law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The popular vote bill is getting the headlines, but gun owners in Virginia are looking at the weapons ban as the more immediate practical concern.

What to watch: Similar bills are reportedly moving in Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Nevada—all states whose electoral votes would push the compact past 270 if they joined. Whether any of those advance this session determines whether the compact becomes a live issue before 2028.