National elections are decided in 12 battleground states and Connecticut isn’t one of them. Maybe it seems OK not to be bothered with all the hoopla and security problems that come with presidential candidate visits, but there is a lot more at stake for those states where votes in presidential elections don’t matter any more.

Those states that count in national elections are also the ones that receive more attention from officials, from Congress, from government agencies. This means Connecticut is missing out on investments, grants, and development opportunities at every level.

It doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t even require a constitutional amendment to make a change. The National Popular Vote compact can go into effect once states equaling a majority of electoral votes decide that majority vote means just that: The person who receives the most VOTES is the winner. That change requires 270 electoral votes. As of now, states with 165 electoral votes have agreed that the presidential candidate receiving the most votes should be the winner.

For the sixth time since 2009, a bill to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact was voted out of committee in Hartford. Now it is time for the General Assembly to vote on H.B 5421 so those of us who live in Connecticut can again have a meaningful voice in national elections.

Betty Krasne

Kent