State Senator Bill Gannon aims to shift New Hampshire to a district-based electoral vote system
Right now, all four of New Hampshire’s electoral votes go to the candidate who wins the statewide vote. Gannon’s bill, known as SB 11, would allow the state to follow the lead of Maine and Nebraska, which allocate some of their electoral votes by district. He believes this change would make democracy more representative and encourage candidates to engage with voters.
Under Gannon’s proposal, two electoral votes would still go to the statewide winner, while one vote would be awarded to the winner in each congressional district. He argues that this approach would benefit both major political parties, citing past elections where the current system didn’t reflect the voters’ preferences.
For instance, in 2000, Al Gore lost to George W. Bush by two electoral votes, but he could have gained one from New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, which has consistently voted Democratic. Similarly, in 2016, Donald Trump won the 1st Congressional District, which would have given him an electoral vote under Gannon’s plan.
Gannon believes that if the system were different, candidates like Trump would be more likely to campaign in New Hampshire, especially if they had a chance to win in specific districts. He wants New Hampshire to stay engaged in the electoral process.
While Gannon has some support from fellow senators, he faced opposition during a recent hearing. Liz Tentarelli from the League of Women Voters argued that the best way to ensure voter representation is to eliminate the Electoral College altogether. She pointed out that Nebraska’s hybrid model hasn’t attracted candidates as intended.
Concerns were also raised about potential manipulation of the electoral system through gerrymandering, which could skew results based on how district lines are drawn. Gannon’s proposal is still in the early stages, and the debate continues on how best to represent voters in presidential elections.
