DeCroce Proposes Amendment to State Constitution to Apportion Electoral Votes Based on Results of Congressional District Outcomes

(Parsippany, NJ) Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce has offered a proposed amendment to the state Constitution to award New Jersey’s Presidential Electoral Votes according to the vote tally in each of the state’s congressional districts.

DeCroce (R-Morris, Essex, Passaic) says the amendment, if approved, would make New Jersey more relevant and more respected in presidential elections and would accurately reflect the will of the voters.

“In presidential election years, New Jersey becomes the drop-in state; the national candidates fly into Newark Airport for a quick fundraiser; board the plane three hours later with hundreds of thousands of dollars and never talk to our people or understand our issues,” said DeCroce.

“National politicians use New Jersey like an ATM machine. Approval of this amendment will force national candidates work harder for our votes,” added DeCroce.

If the proposed amendment had been in effect for the 2016 election, President Donald Trump would have received five of the state’s 14 electoral votes because he won five congressional districts. Instead, Trump received no electoral votes because New Jersey awards all its 14 electoral votes to the candidate that wins the popular vote in the state – in 2016 those 14 votes went to Hillary Clinton. (New Jersey has 14 electoral votes – one for each of the 12 congressional districts and one electoral vote for each of the two U.S. Senators.)

DeCroce said the winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes should change because it disenfranchises some voters.

“I believe in the Electoral College system created by our nation’s founders because it protects the integrity of states and reflects the will of the people. But I also believe that the winner-take-all system disenfranchises many voters,” said DeCroce.

In 2016 more than 1.6 million New Jersey residents voted for Donald Trump.

“For those who are concerned about elections reflecting the will of the people, I believe apportioning votes by the results of congressional district elections in national elections truly does reflect the will of voters and it respects our U.S. Constitution,” said DeCroce.