The popular vote agreement, also known as the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, is a movement gaining traction in the United States in recent years. It aims to change the way the US presidential elections are decided, shifting the focus from the electoral college to the popular vote.

The electoral college has been the traditional mode of electing presidents in the US since its inception. Under this system, each state is given a certain number of electors based on its population. When voters cast their ballot for a presidential candidate, they are actually voting for the slate of electors from their state who support that candidate. The electors, in turn, cast their votes for president.

The winner of the presidency is determined by the candidate who receives a majority of the electoral votes. However, this system has come under scrutiny in recent years as a candidate can win the presidency without winning the popular vote. This has happened five times in US history, most recently in the 2016 election.

The popular vote agreement seeks to change this by having states agree to allocate their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote nationwide, regardless of who wins the popular vote in their state. Under this agreement, the candidate who receives the most votes nationally would be guaranteed to win the presidency, even if they did not win the majority of electoral votes.

Currently, 15 states and the District of Columbia have joined the popular vote agreement, representing 196 electoral votes. The agreement will only go into effect once states representing a total of 270 electoral votes, the number needed to win the presidency, have joined.

Supporters of the popular vote agreement argue that it would increase the importance of every vote and ensure that every vote counts equally. It would also encourage candidates to campaign in all states, not just swing states, and would make election results more reflective of the nation`s popular will.

Opponents of the popular vote agreement argue that it would give large, densely populated states like California and New York too much sway in presidential elections. They also argue that the electoral college system provides a balance of power between large and small states, preventing candidates from only focusing on highly populated areas.

As the debate over the popular vote agreement continues, it remains to be seen whether the movement will gain enough support to become a reality. However, it is clear that the issue of how US presidential elections are decided will continue to be a topic of discussion and debate for years to come.