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Paper Roses

(7,468 posts)
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 04:19 PM Nov 2020

Do you trust the Electoral College?

Like so many others, I am a wreck as I watch the progress of this election.
I remember well what happened in 2016. Do we trust the Electors?

I believe Biden will win the general election but our hands are tied as we wait for the Electors to vote. I would love to hear any thoughts.

Is there any recourse if they do not follow the general vote or are we stuck with Electors from the "big" states to support our current menace and throw this election?

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Do you trust the Electoral College? (Original Post) Paper Roses Nov 2020 OP
Yes, I trust the electors will vote according to their states' rules and voting outcomes. JustABozoOnThisBus Nov 2020 #1
Yes. Next question? brooklynite Nov 2020 #2
Yes Progressive dog Nov 2020 #3
yup NRaleighLiberal Nov 2020 #4
Faithless Electors mahatmakanejeeves Nov 2020 #5
The question really is: Do you trust State Legislators? Nictuku Nov 2020 #6
Well... Mike Nelson Nov 2020 #7
Not entirely BannonsLiver Nov 2020 #8
Faithless electors are the very least of my concerns. Hassin Bin Sober Nov 2020 #9
As long as we don't pick any Bernie bros, we'll be fine Wanderlust988 Nov 2020 #10
NO! We should get rid of it. broiles Nov 2020 #11
Yes. n/t ChazII Nov 2020 #12
There are different electors for each candidate Fiendish Thingy Nov 2020 #13
Yes. It's what we have, and probably for decades more. Hoyt Nov 2020 #14
I don't really understand what you're asking here. Captain Stern Nov 2020 #15
Joe's electors were vetted by the campaign Orangepeel Nov 2020 #16
NO. We know that individual voters can be manipulated and that ratfucking the EC can and abqtommy Nov 2020 #17
Electors are hand picked by the party. They are the most faithful of faithful party members Statistical Nov 2020 #18

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,282 posts)
1. Yes, I trust the electors will vote according to their states' rules and voting outcomes.
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 04:23 PM
Nov 2020

I don't think an elector will "change sides" when they cast their votes.

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,874 posts)
5. Faithless Electors
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 04:27 PM
Nov 2020

Mon Jul 6, 2020: Supreme Court says states may require presidential electors to support popular-vote winner

Source: {washington post}

State officials in Colorado and Washington had asked the court to settle the matter in case November’s election proves close enough that a small number of what are sometimes called “faithless electors” could determine the outcome. The 2000 election, for instance, was decided by five electoral votes.

This story is developing and will be updated.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-electoral-college-faithless-electors/2020/07/06/cf88f706-bf8f-11ea-b178-bb7b05b94af1_story.html

Mon Jul 6, 2020: Supreme Court rules states can remove 'faithless electors'

Supreme Court rules states can remove 'faithless electors'
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/505984-supreme-court-rules-states-can-remove-faithless-electors

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that states can prohibit their Electoral College representatives from disregarding voters when casting their ballots in presidential elections.

The unanimous decision, arising out of a case from Washington state, essentially gives states the right to outlaw "faithless electors" who cast their votes for people other than those chosen by voters.

"Nothing in the Constitution expressly prohibits States from taking away presidential electors’ voting discretion as Washington does," Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the majority decision.

A handful of electors had cast their votes in 2016 for people who did not win their states' popular votes in a failed attempt to deny President Trump an Electoral College majority. In the final vote tally, just seven of the 538 electors successfully chose someone other than their state's popular vote winner.

Three Democratic electors in Washington state voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell instead of Hillary Clinton, hoping that Republican electors would follow suit. The state fined them $1,000 each, prompting a legal challenge from the three officials, who argued that the state law restricting their Electoral College vote was unconstitutional.

...

Nictuku

(3,570 posts)
6. The question really is: Do you trust State Legislators?
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 04:28 PM
Nov 2020

Each party has its own 'slate' of electors for each state. There isn't actually a group or college of electors. These are people chosen by each party, and they are expected to be loyal to the party that selected them. But even that has been to court and there is nothing in the constitution that says an elector has to vote one way or the other.

Most state constitutions say that the slate of electors to be sent to certify in Washington in December will be from the winner of the popular vote for their state (some states split the electors by counties, but not many), It is not anywhere in the US Constitution that the state legislators must send the slate of electors for the party who wins the popular vote. They actually can 'ignore' the popular vote, and decide themselves which slate of electors to send to Washington to be counted.

And that is where the problem lies, especially if there is so much chaos and confusion about the vote counting after election day, with court cases, etc. it gives more chance for state legislators to send whoever they want.

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,271 posts)
9. Faithless electors are the very least of my concerns.
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 04:42 PM
Nov 2020

Republican legislatures and republican courts are at the top.

Wanderlust988

(509 posts)
10. As long as we don't pick any Bernie bros, we'll be fine
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 04:44 PM
Nov 2020

And yes, I'm serious. I recall we had several really left electors in 2016 that couldn't bring themselves to vote for Hillary even though the state voted for her. Our state parties need to do heavy vetting if this thing is close. We don't need Nina Turner/Cornel West/Susan Sarandon types being in the Electoral College. The electors need to be 100% rock ribbed Biden supporters from day one. None of this bullshit.

Fiendish Thingy

(15,361 posts)
13. There are different electors for each candidate
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 05:18 PM
Nov 2020

If Biden wins a state, his electors, selected by the campaign, are appointed to cast their ballots on December 14.

I don’t think there is a chance in hell that a Biden elector would flip for Trump.

Captain Stern

(2,195 posts)
15. I don't really understand what you're asking here.
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 05:41 PM
Nov 2020

What exactly is it that you think you remember from 2016?

In 2016, the Electors from each state voted the way they were supposed to.

abqtommy

(14,118 posts)
17. NO. We know that individual voters can be manipulated and that ratfucking the EC can and
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 05:50 PM
Nov 2020

has happened. It's a stretch for me to now think that I/we can trust any particular aspect of
our voting process. If we want democracy then we have to protect it.

Statistical

(19,264 posts)
18. Electors are hand picked by the party. They are the most faithful of faithful party members
Mon Nov 2, 2020, 05:52 PM
Nov 2020

lifetime supporters, mega donors, etc.

If "Biden" wins your state what it means is your state will choose a slate of electors hand picked by the DNC and Biden campaign. That is what you are voting for. When you vote "Biden" what you are really voting for is "this slate of electors hand picked by the Biden campaign and DNC". Maybe it would be better if we put that on the ballot since it seems to confuse people but we abstract all that away and say you are voting for Biden.

Worrying about how they will vote is well just worrying for the sake of worrying. Occasionally an elector votes against party wishes. It has never in modern politics ever affected the outcome of a race.

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