California Takes Action To Change Presidential Election Process

SACRAMENTO (KCBS) - A nationwide effort to elect the president of the United States based on the popular vote rather than the current Electoral College system passed the California legislature Friday.

The author of California's bill, San Mateo Assemblyman Jerry Hill said the Electoral College gives the power of electing the president to only a handful of states.

"That leaves out a couple of hundred million people that won't even be part of the election process other than that vote," he said.

"And that vote won't count because it's all tied to Florida, Ohio and some of those other battleground states."

KCBS' Anna Duckworth reports:

Hill said the bill the legislature passed would require California's 55 electoral votes go to the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide.

Seven other states, and the District of Columbia, already have agreed to the plan. It would only be enacted after enough jurisdictions sign on to guarantee the necessary 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

"So that when the election occurs, the candidate that gets the most votes in the 50 states, then all of those 270 electoral votes would go to that candidate and that candidate would be elected president," Hill said.

California Governor Jerry Brown has twelve days to take action on the National Popular Vote Bill.

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