State Rep. Chris Rabb to reintroduce bill to bypass Electoral College to elect candidates by national popular vote 

Rep. Christopher M. Rabb    January 6, 2022

HARRISBURG, Jan. 6 – Exactly one year after the insurrection on our nation’s Capitol, in which people who were misled about the validity of the presidential election results tried to overturn a presidential election, state Rep. Chris Rabb is reintroducing legislation that would put democracy back in the hands of the people. He is joined by state Sen. Maria Collett who will be introducing an identical version of this bill in the state Senate.

House Bill 270 would authorize Pennsylvania to join the agreement among the states to elect the president of the United States by the popular vote, eliminating any confusion when it comes to election results. 

“The decision about who should become our commander in chief should be decided by the majority of Americans who exercise their right to vote and cast their ballots for the candidate of their choice, not by violence from an angry mob who seeks to suppress democracy for its own purposes,” according to Rabb.

Currently, 15 states and the District of Columbia have agreed to this legislation, which make up 195 of the 270 electoral votes needed to elect the president through the Electoral College. That means, if enacted into law, Pennsylvania would add its 20 electoral votes toward the 75 remaining votes this measure would need to give this agreement legal force. 

“We need to ensure that the voice of the people is heard, and that no election official can bow to public pressure to change the results of an election,” Rabb said. “We must defer to the collective will of voters irrespective of the victor’s party affiliation and uphold our constitutional imperative with rigor and integrity.” 

Along with this legislation, Rabb has advocated for other election-related bills, including ranked choice voting, electronic collection of petition signatures, making Election Day a state holiday, rotating ballot positions for candidates, requiring background checks for candidates, and various special election reforms.