DOVER, Del. – Delaware Gov. John Carney has signed legislation adding Delaware to a group of states, including Colorado, pledging to give their Electoral College presidential votes to the winner of the national popular vote, regardless of the voters’ will in those states.

Carney’s approval Thursday makes Delaware the 13th Democratic-leaning state to join the popular-vote compact, which now has 184 of the 270 electoral college votes needed to elect the president.

The initiative started after Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote in 2000 but lost to George W. Bush. It gained steam after Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump.

Supporters say the change would make candidates pay more attention to voters outside traditional “battleground” states.

Opponents say it circumvents the Constitution and would result in candidates focusing their attention on major metropolitan areas.

The interstate pact will take effect only if states with more than 270 electoral votes agree to take part. It’s expected that the pact will not take effect until after the 2020 election.

In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis signed the state’s popular-vote bill into law March 15. Petitions are being circulated in an effort to block the law from taking effect.

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