A New York Times analysis by Ben LayBlatt lays out how Democrats, newly in control of five state governments after the midterms, could push the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact past the 270 electoral votes needed to sidestep the Electoral College without a constitutional amendment. The article warns the pact would face legal challenges over the compact clause and state constitutions, and that population shifts after the 2030 census could leave it short of electoral votes unless all five states join.