What’s in store today when the Electoral College meets
gressman who challenged vote winner. The Supreme Richard Nixon for the 1972 Court unanimously upheld GOP presidential nominathis arrangement in July. tion on a platform opposElectors almost always
WASHINGTON >> Voters cast ing the Vietnam War; Flovote for the state winner their ballots for president ridian Maximo Alvarez, anyway, because they genmore than a month ago, an immigrant from Cuba erally are devoted to their but the votes that officially who worried in his Repubpolitical party. matter will be cast Monlican convention speech A bit of an exception hapday. That’s when the Electhat anarchy and commupened in 2016 when 10 electoral College meets. nism would overrun Biden’s tors tried to vote for other
The Constitution gives America, and Muhammad candidates. Those included the electors the power to Abdurrahman, a Minnepeople pledged to support choose the president, and sotan who tried to cast his Clinton who decided not to when all the votes are electoral vote for Sen. Berback her in a futile bid to counted Monday, Presidentnie Sanders instead of Hillget Republican electors to elect Joe Biden is expected ary Clinton in 2016. abandon Trump and choose to have 306 electoral votes, someone else as president.
Q more than the 270 needed Where do they meet Abdurrahman, the Minto elect a president, to 232 and what do they do? nesotan who wanted to vote votes for President Donald for Sanders, was replaced as
A
Trump. The Electoral College an elector. This year, he has
The spotlight on the prodoesn’t meet in one said he will cast his vote for cess is even greater this year place. Instead, each state’s Biden and Vice Presidentbecause Trump has refused electors and the electors elect Kamala Harris, acto concede the election and for the District of Columcording to the Minneapolis continued to make baseless bia meet in a place chosen Star-Tribune. allegations of fraud. That by their legislature, usu
Q makes the meeting of the ally the state capitol. What happens next Electoral College another The election is low tech. after the vote? solid, undeniable step toElectors cast their votes
A ward Inauguration Day on by paper ballot: one ballot Once the electoral Jan. 20, when Biden will be for president and one for votes are cast, they sworn in as president. vice president. The votes are sent to Congress,
Some questions and anget counted and the elecwhere both houses will swers about the Electoral tors sign six certificates convene on Jan. 6 for a College: with the results. Each cersession presided over by
tificate gets paired with a Vice President Mike Pence.
Q
Who exactly are the certificate from the goverThe envelopes from each electors? nor detailing the state’s vote state and the District of
totals. Columbia will be opened
A
Presidential electors Those six packets then and the votes tallied. typically are elected get mailed to various people If at least one member of officials, political hopefuls specified by law. The most each house objects in writor longtime party loyalists. important copy, though, ing to some electoral votes,
This year, they include gets sent to the president the House and Senate meet South Dakota Gov. Kristi of the Senate, the current separately to debate the isNoem, a Trump elector who vice president. This is the sue. Both houses must vote could be a 2024 Republican copy that will be officially to sustain the objection for presidential candidate, and counted later. it to matter, and the DemoGeorgia Democrat Stacey cratic-led House is unlikely
Q
Abrams, her party’s 2018 Do electors have to to go along with any obnominee for governor and vote for the candidate jections to votes for Biden. a key player in Biden’s win who won their state? Otherwise, the votes get in the state. counted as intended by the
A
A mon g o t he r s are In 32 states and the states.
93-year- old Paul “Pete” McDistrict of ColumAnd then there’s one Closkey, a Biden elector who bia, laws require electors more step: inauguration. is a former Republican con- to vote for the popular