Three state lawmakers are proposing a change to the way New Hampshire allocates its four Electoral College votes.
A bill sponsored by three Republicans would give two votes to the statewide winner and one vote to the winner of each congressional district. That would allow for a split vote if different candidates carry each of the two districts. Maine and Nebraska use the same system.
Lawmakers will debate the bill in the new session, which starts Wednesday.
Hillary Clinton won New Hampshire, and all four of the state's votes, in November. But Republican President-elect Donald Trump won more votes in the 1st Congressional District, meaning he would've won one electoral vote had the newly proposed system been in place.
Republican Rep. David Murotake of Nashua is the bill's prime sponsor. In an interview before the bill was finalized, he said a constituent first asked him to propose Electoral College reform.
Democrats in particular have been calling for reform or elimination of the Electoral College. But changing the vote allocation to mirror congressional districts would likely favor Republicans in the short-term, as the party controls the U.S. House of Representatives and many seats have been gerrymandered to stay safely Republican.
The state's 1st Congressional District covers eastern New Hampshire and major cities such as Portsmouth and Manchester. It is a swing district, switching back and forth between electing a Republican or a Democratic congresswoman. Former U.S. Rep. Carol Shea Porter, a Democrat, won back the seat in November, despite Trump's victory at the top of the ticket.
