Republicans Want to Reform the Electoral College to Help Themselves

By Reid Wilson - Reid Wilson is editor-in-chief of National Journal's Hotline

Seeking to cut into Democrats' advantage, the plan would eliminate winner-take-all elections and allocate electoral votes based on congressional districts.

Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

Republicans alarmed at the apparent challenges they face in winning the White House are preparing an all-out assault on the Electoral College system in critical states, an initiative that would significantly ease the party's path to the Oval Office.

Senior Republicans say they will try to leverage their party's statehouse majorities in Democratic-leaning states in an effort to end the winner-take-all system of awarding electoral votes. Instead, bills that will be introduced in several Democratic states would award electoral votes on a proportional basis.