U.S. Supreme Court takes up presidential Electoral College dispute

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

SUPREME COURT JANUARY 17, 2020 / 3:53 PM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

U.S. Supreme Court takes up presidential Electoral College dispute

Andrew Chung
5 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the 2020 race heats up, the Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear a dispute involving the complex U.S. presidential election system focusing on whether Electoral College electors are free to break their pledges to back the candidate who wins their state’s popular vote, an act that could upend an election.

The Supreme Court will take up appeals in two cases - from Washington state and Colorado - involving electors who decided to vote in the Electoral College process for someone other than Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 even though she won the popular vote in their states.

The justices will determine if such so-called faithless electors have the discretion to cast Electoral College votes as they see fit or whether states can impose restrictions including with penalties. The case is expected to be argued in April and decided by the end of June.

President Donald Trump is seeking re-election on Nov. 3, with a field of Democrats seeking their party’s nomination to challenge him. His administration did not take a side in either case.

“We are glad the Supreme Court has recognized the paramount importance of clearly determining the rules of the road for presidential electors for the upcoming election and all future elections,” said Lawrence Lessig, a lawyer for the faithless electors sanctioned in Washington and Colorado.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-electoral/u-s-supreme-court-takes-up-presidential-electoral-college-dispute-idUSKBN1ZG2EH

[keithbvadu2]

1. In 2012, Donald Trump tweeted that the electoral college system was a 'disaster for a democracy.'

In 2012, Donald Trump tweeted that the electoral college system was a 'disaster for a democracy.'

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-described-the-electoral-college-as-a-disaster/

After losing the popular vote, President-elect Donald Trump has decided that the Electoral College is a pretty smart way to elect a president after all.

http://fortune.com/2016/11/17/donald-trump-electoral-college-hillary-clinton-popular-vote/

[dlk]

2. Faithless electors invalidate votes

Either we have a democracy with one person, one vote or we have something entirely different.

[wryter2000]

3. Shit

That could do away with the drive to make all electors vote for the winner of the popular vote. It’s the easiest way to get rid of the electoral college.

[Nitram]

4. If I understand the concept behind the Electoral College, it was designed to prevent

a demagogue from winning an election because the Electoral college would protect the US from such a result. that means they were to vote their conscience, not just blindly vote for whoever the voters voted for. And now we know how well the turned out.