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IrelandDave Jorgenson explains a popular-vote route around the Electoral College
A startled Founding Father and an overhead projector help unpack an election proposal that still faces political and legal obstacles.
Dave Jorgenson
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Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 1,547,821 views a day, 6.1 times a normal first day on this channel (252,988).
Can the ‘blue wave’ wipe out the Electoral College?
Dave Jorgenson switches on an overhead projector, and the Founding Father beside him recoils at the apparent witchcraft. Jorgenson plays both parts, giving his visitor from the eighteenth century a lesson in how Americans might choose a president differently.
The sketch, "Can the 'blue wave' wipe out the Electoral College?", drew an estimated 1.5 million views in its first day, roughly six times the usual start for his Shorts. Its question moves beyond the congressional results to what Democratic gains in state government could make possible.
The mechanism is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Participating states agree to award their electoral votes to the presidential ticket that wins the most votes nationwide, regardless of who wins within their own borders. The agreement takes effect only when its members together hold at least 270 electoral votes, enough to decide the presidency.
That would work through the Electoral College rather than abolish it. Jorgenson uses transparency slides comparing Texas's vote with the national result to show the difference.
Drawing on reporting by Axios's Andrew Pantazi, he identifies Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada as a possible path to activating the compact following Democratic statehouse gains. But control of those governments does not mean the agreement has passed: he points to Michigan's previous inaction, Nevada's earlier veto and legal debate over whether congressional approval is required.
The projector may be enough to alarm Jorgenson's fictional visitor. The proposal itself gets a more practical treatment: how it works, which states matter and what could still stop it.
An agreement among U.S. states and the District of Columbia to give their electoral votes to the nationwide popular-vote winner. It would take effect only when participating members have enough electoral votes to guarantee that result.
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- Channel
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- Channel views, last 7 days
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- Channel views, pace per day
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- November 5, 2026
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The numbers
The Short's estimated first-day views and comments both ran at roughly six times Dave Jorgenson's usual pace.
💡 Test your knowledge
Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, who would receive participating states' electoral votes?
Once activated, the compact would commit participating states' electoral votes to the ticket receiving the most votes nationwide.