Spoiling for a Fight: Swing States Looking to Change Electoral Allocation Ahead of 2016

Washington (CNN) — If at first you don’t succeed, try to change the rules.

A proposal under consideration in Virginia’s Republican-led state Legislature would change how the commonwealth allocates its 13 electoral votes in the wake of Democratic President Barack Obama’s re-election last November.

Obama won the popular vote in the crucial battleground state to claim all 13 electoral votes, even though GOP challenger Mitt Romney beat him in seven of the 11 congressional districts.

Under the proposed alternative system, electoral votes would get divvied up by congressional districts won. In addition, Virginia’s two other electoral votes — one for each U.S. Senate seat — would go to the candidate who won the most congressional districts.

If the district-based system had been in effect in Virginia last year, Romney would have gotten nine electoral votes to four for Obama.