Colorado Referendum?

[Ediacara]

I was reading today at electoral-vote.com, and they had the following snippit:

So if Bush wins West Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin, the electoral college score is Kerry 294, Bush 244. If Bush wins Florida as well, he wins 271 to 267 like last time unless the Colorado referendum passes, in which case Kerry will get 4 votes in the electoral college from Colorado and still win the election. All this goes to show that without Ohio, Bush has to win all the Midwestern states still within his grasp and pray the Colorado referendum either fails or is shot down by the Supreme Court, which is probably not keen on deciding another election. Conclusion: a few tens of thousands of undecided voters in Ohio may swing the election. And remember, historically undecideds break 2 to 1 for the challenger against the incumbent.

Are you guys voting to split your electoral votes like Maine and Nebraska? If so, this is the first I've heard of it.

[coloradodem2005]

1. I have heard things about this.

I don't think that it will happen this time though. It won't be effective anyways for this election.

[Ediacara]

3. Hmmm

The dude at electoral-vote.com seemed to be implying that it would. Interestingly, the main point he was trying to make is that there is BIG TROUBLE in Bush's numbers, and it would take a miracle for him to come back and take the presidency, unless he took both Ohio and Florida (not looking good on either front), but Colorado could (this year) split its votes.

[CO Liberal]

4. They Can't

Up until a few days ago, they were still circulating those petitions. If they get enough signatures by their deadline, it would be on the ballot on November 2nd. And if the people approved it, it wouldn't take effect until the NEXT Presidential election, because you can't change the rules in the middle of the election cycle. (Remember that GOP mantra from Florida in 2000?)

The earliest Colorado would go to a split electoral vote would be 2008.

[CO Liberal]

2. People Were Circulating Petitions....

...to change the disposition of electoral votes in Colorado from winner-take-all to apportioned according to popular vote. Even if it gets enough signatures to get on the ballot, it wouldn't be in effect this election - the people still have to vote on it.

[prankster]

5. My understanding of the referendum is that it will take effect this cycle

And there would be no problem because under the federal constitution, the state can direct its electors to vote any way they want to, up til December 18, the safe harbor date.

Here is a link to a newspaper article about the referendum. It apparently has Bill Owens panties in quite a knot.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_3077685,00.html

Cheers,

Prankster

[ThatPoetGuy]

6. Thank you Prankster, EOM