General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDo 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?
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,282 posts)I don't think an elector will "change sides" when they cast their votes.
brooklynite
(93,834 posts)Progressive dog
(6,861 posts)NRaleighLiberal
(59,940 posts)mahatmakanejeeves
(56,874 posts)Mon Jul 6, 2020: Supreme Court says states may require presidential electors to support popular-vote winner
State officials in Colorado and Washington had asked the court to settle the matter in case Novembers 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'
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.
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Nictuku
(3,570 posts)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.
Mike Nelson
(9,903 posts)... the Electoral College gave us GWB and Trump, so it's time to get rid of it.
BannonsLiver
(16,161 posts)But thats the next battle. Im still on the first battle.
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,271 posts)Republican legislatures and republican courts are at the top.
Wanderlust988
(509 posts)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.
broiles
(1,361 posts)In the last 20 years it has given us two of the worst presidents
ChazII
(6,198 posts)Fiendish Thingy
(15,361 posts)If Biden wins a state, his electors, selected by the campaign, are appointed to cast their ballots on December 14.
I dont think there is a chance in hell that a Biden elector would flip for Trump.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Captain Stern
(2,195 posts)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.
Orangepeel
(13,933 posts)they aren't random people.
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)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)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.