The New York Times is reporting that Republican donors are trying to get a ballot initiative that would alter the way electoral votes are apportioned in California to the benefit of Republican presidential candidates.
Earlier this summer a prominent Republican lawyer began the initiative, but financing concerns waylaid it in October. Last week a new organization began raising the roughly $2 million thought to be needed. David Gilliard, a Republican consultant, with help from Anne Dunsmore, who recently resigned from Rudolph Giuliani’s presidential campaign, are spearheading the movement.
The proposed initiative would ask voters to replace California’s winner-take-all 55 electoral college votes with one that parses the votes by Congressional district. Democrats have strongly opposed the initiative since it would hand the Republican nominee roughly 20 of the 55 votes.
Art Torres, head of the California Democratic Party will constitutionally challenge the initiative if it qualifies for the ballot, arguing that only state legislators can determine how electoral votes are allocated.