Chris Kromm has an encouraging update on the effort to render the Electoral College irrelevant at Facing South. As Kromm reports on recent action by the North Carolina state senate:

This week, North Carolina became the latest state chamber to endorse a direct popular vote, as the Charlotte Observer reports:

"North Carolina would enter a compact that could eliminate the power of the Electoral College system to choose a president, according to a bill that passed the Senate Monday night. If agreed to by states representing a majority of the nation's 538 electoral votes, the measure would require North Carolina to give its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote nationwide."

Nationwide, 41 bills have been introduced. In Maryland, it's been signed by the governor, and both of Hawaii's legislative chambers have passed the hill. North Carolina is now one of five states where it's passed at least one house, the others being Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, and most recently California...And if states that represent a majority of the current 538 Electoral College votes form a compact to do away with the system, they can move the country to direct popular vote for President and Vice President.

North Carolina being a moderate to moderately-conservative state, the action of its state senate bodes well for the popular vote campaign nation-wide. Apparently, this movement has some legs.