WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled to uphold state laws requiring members of the Electoral College to support the winner of their state’s popular vote in presidential elections.

Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James made the below statement in response to the ruling.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision safeguards our Electoral College system, which has protected our democratic process and provided unprecedented stability in our form of representative democracy for more than two centuries. The Electoral College was intended to ensure that voters’ voices were heard no matter where they live in a nation as geographically diverse as ours.

“I am heartened to see that the justices unanimously agreed that states have the constitutional authority to ensure their electors duly represent their citizens and can thus prevent individual electors from single-handedly reversing the votes of millions of individuals.”

Hans von Spakovksy, a Heritage senior legal fellow and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative, had the below response.

“By confirming the constitutionality of state authority to enforce pledges made by electors to support the presidential candidates preferred by the citizens of that state, the Supreme Court has protected the Electoral College and the benefits of our federal system against challenges intended to damage our democratic process.”