An exciting new proposed ballot proposition that would eliminate the current "winner-take-all" system of apportionment of Presidential Electoral College votes and replace it with a regionalized system based largely on voting results in Congressional districts, has been filed with the Attorney General by "Californians for Equal Representation" by Sacramento-based attorney Thomas W. Hiltachk. The ballot measure, identified as the "Presidential Election Reform Act," and identified on the AG’s system as "Initiative No. 07-0032," would give increased clout in the Presidential election to more local areas of the state, and might also help a credible third party candidate to pick-up some electoral votes, without having to win the entire state. Congressional Districts in the Bay Area, for example, which usually vote for the Democrat, might be counted on for their electoral votes, however, Congressional districts in southern counties that usually vote for the Republican, would not have their electoral votes necessarily wasted in a Democratic sweep of the state, as in the current system. And vice-versa, were there to be a really strong Republican candidate statewide in California. Regardless, Congressional districts in the Central Valley, which are often swing districts, might for the first time in a long while see real campaigning by all the Presidential candidates prior to the November election, rather than the national candidates just "writing-off" the state and conceding it to one party, as has been the case in some recent past Presidential elections.
Two other states, Nebraska and Maine, use proportional distribution of Presidential electors. The rest of the country, including California, uses the "winner-take-all" system. This new measure is a reform that is focused on ensuring the diversity of California is equally represented in the Electoral College, and could help make the difference in a close national election campaign.