Massachusetts Committee Hears Case for Automatic Replacement of Faithless Electors

BOSTON — March 24, 2026 — Massachusetts lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday urging passage of a bill that would automatically replace any presidential elector who tries to cast a faithless vote. The Joint Committee on Election Laws, co-chaired by Representative Daniel J. Hunt and Senator John F. Keenan, took testimony on House Bill 5086, which would enact the Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act in Massachusetts — a model already adopted by 14 jurisdictions and upheld unanimously by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. Liz Acabucci of Public Citizen cited the swatting of Indiana state senators and an ongoing rise in threats against public officials as reasons the bill is urgent now. David Weinberg of Protect Democracy United said 26 states have some form of the automatic-replacement provision, including Oregon and South Dakota, which acted within the previous few weeks, and he recommended two minor amendments to address compact-compliance language and federal deadline requirements. Member Paul K. Frost pressed witnesses on whether the bill could conflict with Massachusetts' membership in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact; Weinberg said the bill is fully compliant and that a short clarifying amendment to Section 1 would put that beyond any argument.