Jerry Meek is backing the national popular vote.
The N.C. Democratic Party chairman has endorsed the idea of electing the president by popular vote by essentially abolishing the Electoral College, according to an e-mail from the National Popular Vote group.
Meek said a national popular vote would increase grassroots involvement, boost voter registration and improve voter turnout — three trends North Carolina witnessed during the recent Democratic primary — and that would be a good thing for the political process regardless of which party you support.
The e-mail also notes that Meek said the National Popular Vote bill in the legislature would be consistent with national party chairman Howard Dean's "50-state strategy" and make every state a battleground state.
The bill is currently on hold in a committee, so Meek's statement could be a signal that state Democrats are seriously considering it even though there are signs that North Carolina may be a battleground state this year.
The legislation would enter North Carolina into a compact to pledge its electors to the popular vote winner. It would only take effect once enough states signed to award the presidency.
North Carolina is uniquely positioned to pass the bill. Though it's gone for the Republican presidential candidate every year since 1976, the majority of both chambers and the governor are Democrats.
Last August, legislators considered divvying up the state's electors by Congressional districts.




Re: Meek backs popular vote bill
The purpose of the electors was to stop a popular vote from taking place. The general population wasn't smart enough to choose the President then, and in 2008 I don't think anything has changed... Barack Obama was chosen as the Democrat nominee, do we need any further evidence?