California Governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation that allows California to join seven other states in awarding all the state’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes nationwide in a general election. Currently, all 55 of California’s electoral votes are awarded to the ticket that receives the most votes in the state.

The change will occur only if it is adopted by states with a majority of the electoral votes in the country. The other seven states who have already enacted the change are, with their number of electoral votes: Vermont (3), Massachusetts (11), New Jersey (14), Maryland (10), Illinois (20), Washington (12), Hawaii (4) and the District of Columbia (3), for a total of 132 of the 270 needed electoral votes before the measure will take effect. Proponents of this multi-state compact are hoping to have enough states adopt the measure in time to have it effective for the 2016 election.

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