3 Experts Name the Same 5 States for National Popular Vote to Get the Required 270 Electoral Votes during 2027

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact has now been enacted by 19 jurisdictions possessing 222 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate it.

A recent 2-minute video by Mother Jones writer Ari Berman identifies five states with 61 electoral votes (Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) as a plausible path to getting the remaining 48 electoral votes in 2027.

Map from Ari Berman video

Chris Bowers' recent article entitled "Could We Actually Elect the President by National Popular Vote in 2028?" identifies the same five states.

Ben Wikler's op-ed in the New York Times on June 15, 2026, stated:

"Eighteen state governments and the District of Columbia have already passed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. If just a few more states do the same — say, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona, plus at least one of Wisconsin, Nevada, or New Hampshire — then the states participating in the compact will have enough Electoral College votes ... [so that] the winner of the [national] popular vote will become president -- rendering “swing states” a thing of the past, giving every voter an equal say, and transforming presidential campaigning.”

SHORTCOMINGS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM

• Five of our 47 Presidents came into office without winning the most popular votes nationwide.
• Every vote is not equal.
• The current state-by-state winner-take-all system regularly enables a few thousand votes in seven or so closely divided states to decide the Presidency—leaving 43 states and 80% of Americans on the sidelines.

The National Popular Vote Compact will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It will make every vote equal throughout the United States. It will give presidential candidates a compelling reason to solicit votes in all 50 states and DC.

PUBLIC SUPPORT

According to a recent Pew poll, 63% of Americans say that the winner of the popular vote nationwide should win the presidency. 

80% of Democrats and 46% of Republicans support a national popular vote for President. Details

61% of moderate and liberal Republicans support a national popular vote for President.



HOW NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE WORKS

The winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes is not in the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution says:

“Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors….”

The Constitution gives the states exclusive control over the choice of method of awarding their electoral votes. It does not encourage, discourage, require, or prohibit the use of any particular way of awarding a state's electoral votes.

The National Popular Vote law will take effect when approved by states with a majority of the electoral votes (270 of 538). Then, the presidential candidate winning the most popular votes in all 50 states and DC will get all the electoral votes from all of the enacting states. That is, the candidate winning the most popular votes nationwide will be guaranteed enough votes in the Electoral College to become President.

This will ensure that every voter, in every state, will be politically relevant in every presidential election—regardless of where they live.

Under the National Popular Vote law, no voter will have their vote cancelled out because their choice differed from prevailing sentiment in their state. Instead, every voter’s vote will be added directly into the national count of the candidate chosen by that voter. 

NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Our book Every Vote Equal: A State-Based Plan for Electing the President by National Popular Vote can be read or downloaded for free at www.Every-Vote-Equal.com. It contains answers to 175 myths about National Popular Vote.

More information is available at 

National Popular Vote home page