The Declaration of Independence does not establish a national popular vote or explain how to elect a president. But its central ideas can be used to make an argument in favor of one.
Step 1: The Declaration says people are politically equal
It states that “all men are created equal.” In modern democratic terms, this idea can support the principle that each citizen’s vote should have equal influence, no matter which state the citizen lives in.
Step 2: It says government gets its power from the people
The Declaration says governments receive their “just powers” from the “consent of the governed.” Supporters of a national popular vote connect this principle to choosing the president according to the total votes cast by the people across the country.
Step 3: It calls for government to serve the people
The Declaration explains that governments are created to protect people’s rights. Advocates argue that a national popular vote would make presidential candidates answer to voters nationwide, rather than focusing mainly on a small number of closely contested states.
Important limitation
The Declaration is a statement of political principles, not the Constitution’s rules for elections. The Constitution created the Electoral College, and changing how presidential elections work must follow constitutional and legal rules. So the Declaration can indirectly support a national popular vote as an interpretation of equality and popular consent, but it does not require or directly create one.
In short: The Declaration’s principles may support the argument that every person’s vote should count equally toward choosing the president, but the document itself does not specify a national popular-vote system.