ALBANY, February 17, 2009 — The National Popular Vote bill (S2286A) was introduced in the New York Senate by Senators Kevin S. Parker, Liz Krueger, and George Onorato. The bill currently has a total of 18 sponsoring, also including Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Antoine M. Thompson, Bill Perkins, Diane J. Savino, Eric Adams, Eric Schneiderman, Hiram Monserrate, John L. Sampson, Jose M. Serrano, Neil D. Breslin, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Shirley L. Huntley, Velmanette Montgomery, William T. Stachowski, and Darrel J. Aubertine.

On December 23, 2008, the National Popular Vote bill was introduced in the New York Assembly for the 2009 session by Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz and others. The amended bill (A1580B) currently has a total 61 sponsors in the Assembly, including Assembly members Adam Clayton Powell IV, Alan Maisel, Anthony S. Seminerio, Felix Ortiz, Fred W. Thiele Jr., Jose R. Peralta, Jose Rivera, Karim Camara, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Keith L.T. Wright, Marc S. Alessi, N. Nick Perry, Phil Ramos, Robert K. Sweeney, Steve Englebright, Steven Cymbrowitz, William F. Boyland, Jr., William Magee, William Scarborough, Adriano Espaillat, Alec Brook-Krasny, Annette Robinson, Aurelia Greene, Brian Kavanagh, Charles D. Lavine, Daniel J. O'Donnell, David Koon, Deborah J. Glick, Grace Meng, Inez D. Barron, James F. Brennan, John J. McEneny, Jonathan L. Bing, Linda B. Rosenthal, Marcus Molinaro, Micah Kellner, Michael G. DenDekker, Mike Spano, Nelson L. Castro, Peter D. Lopez, Richard N. Gottfried, William Colton, Amy Paulin, Audrey I. Pheffer, Barbara Lifton, Donna A. Lupardo, Ellen Jaffee, Ginny Fields, Joan L. Millman, Michele R. Titus, Nettie Mayersohn, Patricia A. Eddington, Sandy Galef, Teresa R. Sayward, Vivian E. Cook, Rhoda Jacobs, Philip Boyle, Joseph R. Lentol, Kenneth Zebrowski, Margaret M. Markey, Janele Hyer-Spencer, and Carl E. Heastie.

A survey of 800 New York voters conducted on December 22-23, 2008 showed 79% overall support for a national popular vote for President.      December 2008 New York poll

On May 13, 2008, the Assembly Committee on Election Law approved the National Popular Vote bill.      New York Daily News column      Rome Sentinel article      Lerner letter to editor

On April 15, 2008, Senator Joseph A. Griffo, Chairman of the Senate Elections Committee, introduced the the National Popular Vote bill in the New York Senate. (S07582     Status of S07582)      Newsday op-ed by Assemblyman Lavine

On February 12, 2007, Assembly members Jeffrey Dinowitz, Fred W. Thiele, Jr., Sandy Galef, Charles D. Lavine, and Barbara Lifton are sponsoring the National Popular Vote bill in the New York State Assembly (A3883) (Status of A3883).

In 2006, five Republican New York Assembly members introduced the bill (A11563) on May 25, 2006:

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (Republican, Independence, Working Families – Sag Harbor);

Assemblyman Jim Bacalles (Republican, Conservative – Corning);

Assemblyman Joe Errigo (Republican, Conservative – Conesus);

Assemblyman Andrew Raia (Republican, Conservative, Independence, Working Families – East Northport); and

Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward (Republican, Independence, Conservative – Willsboro).

The bill’s sponsor, New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. stated in 2006:

"The election of the President by popular vote is a goal that is supported by more than 70% of the American people. There is no rational reason in the 21st Century why the public should not be permitted to select its President by majority vote. The Electoral College is a 18th Century anachronism that no longer serves the goals of a pure democracy. The enactment of an interstate compact to insure the popular election of the President is a creative and innovative way to attain this goal. New York State, the Empire State should take a leadership role in energizing our democracy."

Under the current system of electing the President, a candidate may win a majority of the Electoral College without having a majority of the nationwide popular vote. The National Popular Vote bill would reform the Electoral College by guaranteeing the Presidency to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and the District of Columbia). The bill would enact the proposed interstate compact entitled the "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote." The compact would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the membership of the Electoral College (that is 270 of 538 electoral votes). Under the compact, all of the members of the Electoral College from all states belonging to the compact would be from the same political party as the winner of nationwide popular vote. Thus, the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and the District of Columbia) will be guaranteed a majority of the Electoral College, and hence the Presidency. Because the compact guarantees a majority of the Electoral College to the winner of most popular votes nationwide, the compact has the additional benefit of eliminating the possibility that a presidential election might be thrown into the U.S. House of Representatives (with each state casting one vote).