Posted on Dec 19, 2016
Electoral College meets to formally elect Trump, amid protests
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Electors gathered in state capitals across the country Monday to formalize the results of the presidential election, a typically routine process that has become high drama amid a fervent – and likely doomed – push by anti-Donald Trump forces to deny him the victory he claimed on Nov. 8.
Numerous delegations already have cast their votes, and are adhering to the November results.
With wins in states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio and others across the South and beyond, Trump now has won 166 electoral votes of the 270 he needs to formally win the presidency. Democrat Hillary Clinton so far has a total of 96, including 29 from her home state of New York.
Republican electors have been under immense pressure, though, with some even facing threats, in the run-up to Monday’s Electoral College vote. Protests were underway at state capitals in one last push to get the Trump voters to change their minds.
In Arizona, dozens of protesters gathered outside the meeting site, marching around the Capitol mall and carrying signs that said, "Stop Trump."
The states' electors voted unanimously for Trump.
Despite the protest efforts, which in recent days even included public appeals by anti-Trump celebrities, a scarce few Republican electors were expected to consider voting for anyone else. Only one Republican elector – Texas’ Chris Suprun – publicly stated he would vote for an alternative candidate. Two others promised to resign and let electors who would back Trump take their place.
Reince Priebus, White House chief of staff in the incoming Trump administration, voiced confidence about the proceedings on “Fox News Sunday.”
“We expect everything to fall in line,” Priebus said.
In most presidential election years, the Electoral College vote would essentially be a post-election formality. But the intensity of the anti-Trump opposition, combined with the fact Clinton won the popular vote with roughly 2.6 million more votes, fueled the last-ditch efforts to upend Trump’s win in the Electoral College.
Trump needs 270 electoral votes Monday. His state victories put him in line to get 306 of the 538.
From here, a joint session of Congress is scheduled for Jan. 6 to certify the results of the Electoral College vote, with Vice President Joe Biden presiding as president of the Senate. Once the result is certified, the winner -- likely Trump -- will be sworn in on Jan. 20.
Republican electors say they have been deluged with emails, phone calls and letters urging them not to support Trump. Many of the emails are part of coordinated campaigns.
"The letters are actually quite sad," said Lee Green, a Republican elector from North Carolina. "They are generally freaked out. They honestly believe the propaganda. They believe our nation is being taken over by a dark and malevolent force."
Wirt A. Yerger Jr., a Republican elector in Mississippi, said, "I have gotten several thousand emails asking me not to vote for Trump. I threw them all away."
Arizona elector Donald Graham told Fox News on Saturday that the 11 electors have received hundreds of thousands of emails telling them not to vote for Trump and that he’s received information that some of the other 10 have been followed or have received a death threat.
“It’s out of hand when you have such … a small group of people that is pushing so hard against millions if not hundreds of millions of people who still appreciate this whole system,” said Graham, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. “The Electoral College is part of the Constitution.”
If nothing else, the furor over Monday’s proceedings has served to re-acquaint Americans with a process that few pay attention to every four years.
The Electoral College was devised at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It was a compromise between those who wanted popular elections for president and those who wanted no public input.
The Electoral College has 538 members, with the number allocated to each state based on how many representatives it has in the House plus one for each senator. The District of Columbia gets three, despite the fact that the home to Congress has no vote in Congress.
To be elected president, the winner must get at least half plus one -- or 270 electoral votes. Most states give all their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins that state's popular vote. Maine and Nebraska award them by congressional district.
@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCOL Mikel J. BurroughsSgt Joe LaBrancheSSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F.PO2 Ed C. SFC(P) Hercules Lobo MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" NagelSGT John " Mac " McConnellSSG Leo Bell SFC William Farrell LTC (Join to see) SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser Maj Kim Patterson
Numerous delegations already have cast their votes, and are adhering to the November results.
With wins in states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio and others across the South and beyond, Trump now has won 166 electoral votes of the 270 he needs to formally win the presidency. Democrat Hillary Clinton so far has a total of 96, including 29 from her home state of New York.
Republican electors have been under immense pressure, though, with some even facing threats, in the run-up to Monday’s Electoral College vote. Protests were underway at state capitals in one last push to get the Trump voters to change their minds.
In Arizona, dozens of protesters gathered outside the meeting site, marching around the Capitol mall and carrying signs that said, "Stop Trump."
The states' electors voted unanimously for Trump.
Despite the protest efforts, which in recent days even included public appeals by anti-Trump celebrities, a scarce few Republican electors were expected to consider voting for anyone else. Only one Republican elector – Texas’ Chris Suprun – publicly stated he would vote for an alternative candidate. Two others promised to resign and let electors who would back Trump take their place.
Reince Priebus, White House chief of staff in the incoming Trump administration, voiced confidence about the proceedings on “Fox News Sunday.”
“We expect everything to fall in line,” Priebus said.
In most presidential election years, the Electoral College vote would essentially be a post-election formality. But the intensity of the anti-Trump opposition, combined with the fact Clinton won the popular vote with roughly 2.6 million more votes, fueled the last-ditch efforts to upend Trump’s win in the Electoral College.
Trump needs 270 electoral votes Monday. His state victories put him in line to get 306 of the 538.
From here, a joint session of Congress is scheduled for Jan. 6 to certify the results of the Electoral College vote, with Vice President Joe Biden presiding as president of the Senate. Once the result is certified, the winner -- likely Trump -- will be sworn in on Jan. 20.
Republican electors say they have been deluged with emails, phone calls and letters urging them not to support Trump. Many of the emails are part of coordinated campaigns.
"The letters are actually quite sad," said Lee Green, a Republican elector from North Carolina. "They are generally freaked out. They honestly believe the propaganda. They believe our nation is being taken over by a dark and malevolent force."
Wirt A. Yerger Jr., a Republican elector in Mississippi, said, "I have gotten several thousand emails asking me not to vote for Trump. I threw them all away."
Arizona elector Donald Graham told Fox News on Saturday that the 11 electors have received hundreds of thousands of emails telling them not to vote for Trump and that he’s received information that some of the other 10 have been followed or have received a death threat.
“It’s out of hand when you have such … a small group of people that is pushing so hard against millions if not hundreds of millions of people who still appreciate this whole system,” said Graham, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. “The Electoral College is part of the Constitution.”
If nothing else, the furor over Monday’s proceedings has served to re-acquaint Americans with a process that few pay attention to every four years.
The Electoral College was devised at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It was a compromise between those who wanted popular elections for president and those who wanted no public input.
The Electoral College has 538 members, with the number allocated to each state based on how many representatives it has in the House plus one for each senator. The District of Columbia gets three, despite the fact that the home to Congress has no vote in Congress.
To be elected president, the winner must get at least half plus one -- or 270 electoral votes. Most states give all their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins that state's popular vote. Maine and Nebraska award them by congressional district.
@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCOL Mikel J. BurroughsSgt Joe LaBrancheSSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F.PO2 Ed C. SFC(P) Hercules Lobo MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" NagelSGT John " Mac " McConnellSSG Leo Bell SFC William Farrell LTC (Join to see) SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser Maj Kim Patterson
Electoral College meets to formally elect Trump, amid protests
Posted from foxnews.com
Donald Trump
Election 2016
Republicans
Democrats
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 12
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Steady loving it, $1.4B campaign funds resulting in Hillary's big loss, $5-7M spent on recounts and who knows how much targeting electors for zilch. Money spent by liberals for a coronation, and getting a flame out. Maybe they will be more selective next time.
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MCPO Roger Collins
SP5 Mark Kuzinski - Works for me. Guarantees eight years of Republican control IF they govern.
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People who were upset because Trump would not answer if he would accept the results of the election (long before the election) now are trying to change what the voters decided.
Just what does this say about these people?
Just what does this say about these people?
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MAJ Raymond Brooks
And most of those were in California. Remember this is not a democracy where the majority wins, it is a constitutional republic with rules that protect those outside the big population center from being overwhelmed. If this was a democracy, New York City and California would always be in charge.
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Capt (Join to see)
Take out California and Trump won the rest. Are you (or we) ready to let California decide for us?
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Funny how a lot of people are learning about the process they should have been taught in Middle and High School. Wait, they do not teach those classes anymore. HHHmmmm...makes you wonder.
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SSgt Christopher Brose
You are absolutely right.
On a related note, it is disturbing to me how many military servicemen have taken the oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic... and have never bothered to read it and understand it.
On a related note, it is disturbing to me how many military servicemen have taken the oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic... and have never bothered to read it and understand it.
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