Trump opponents try to beat him at the Electoral College
Melinda Smyser, one of Idaho’s four presidential electors, said they have been flooded with emails, telephone calls and Facebook messages from strangers urging them to reconsider their vote. “It’s just not going to work,” Bangerter
BOISE, Idaho >> Grassroots campaigns have sprung up around the country to try to persuade members of the Electoral College to do something that has never been done in American history — deny the presidency to the clear Election Day winner.
Activists are circulating online petitions and using social media in hopes of influencing Republican electors to cast their ballots for someone other than President-elect Donald Trump and deprive him of the 270 Electoral College votes needed to become the next occupant of the White House.
“Yes, I think it’s a longshot, but I also think we’re living in strange times,” said Daniel Brezenoff, who created a petition in favor of Hillary Clinton and is asking signers to lobby electors by email or phone. “If it was ever plausible, it’s this year.”
Trump has won 290 electoral votes to Clinton’s 232, with Michigan undecided, but Clinton is on pace to win the popular vote by at least 1 million ballots. Trump’s opponents are motivated by the outcome of the popular vote and by their contention that the businessman and reality TV star is unfit to serve as commander in chief.
Just one elector so far has wavered publicly on supporting Trump.
Texas Republican Art Sisneros says he has reservations about the president-elect, but not because of the national popular vote. He told The Associated Press he won’t vote for Clinton under any circumstance.
“As a Christian, I came to the conclusion that Mr. Trump is not biblically qualified for that office,” he said.
He said he has heard from ecstatic Clinton supporters and even supportive Republicans, but also from outraged Trump backers writing “threatening and vile things.”
Sisneros signed a state party pledge to support the GOP’s standard-bearer, but that was before Trump was the official nominee. He said one of his options is to resign, allowing the state party to choose another elector.
Electors are chosen by party officials and are typically the party’s most loyal members. Presidential electors are not required to vote for a particular candidate under the Constitution. Even so, the National Archives says more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged throughout the nation’s history.
Some state laws call for fines against “faithless electors,” while others open them to possible felony charges, although the National Archives says no elector has ever been prosecuted for failing to vote as pledged. In North Carolina, a faithless elector’s vote is canceled, and he or she must immediately resign and be replaced.
Layne Bangerter and Melinda Smyser, two of Idaho’s four Republican electors, said they have been flooded with emails, telephone calls and Facebook messages from strangers urging them to reconsider their vote.
“It’s just not going to work,” Bangerter said. “I hope it dies down, but I don’t see that happening.”
The volume and tone of the messages caught the attention of Idaho’s secretary of state, who urged the public to remain civil as electors prepare to cast their ballots on Dec. 19 while meeting in their states.
Republican Party officials in Georgia and Michigan said their electors also have been bombarded with messages, and Iowa reported increased public interest in obtaining contact information for electors.
Michael Banerian, 22, one of Michigan’s 16 Republican electors, said he has received death threats from people who do not want him to vote for Trump. But he said he is undeterred.
“It’s mostly just a lot of angry people who don’t completely understand how the process works,” said Banerian, a political science major at Oakland University.
P. Bret Chiafalo, a Democratic elector in Washington state, said he and a small group of other electors from the party are working to contact their Republican counterparts and ask them to vote for any GOP candidate besides Trump, preferably Mitt Romney or John Kasich.
Under the Constitution, the House — currently under Republican control — decides the presidency if no candidate reaches the required electoral vote majority. House members choose from the top three contenders.
This isn’t the first time electors have faced pressure to undo the results of Election Day.
Carole Jean Jordan, a GOP elector from Florida in 2000, recalled the “unbelievably ugly” aftermath of the recount battle between George W. Bush and then-vice president Al Gore, a dispute that ended with the U.S. Supreme Court leaving Bush’s slim margin intact and handing him the presidency.
Jordan said Florida’s electors were inundated with nasty letters from people saying they should not vote for Bush. Police kept watch over her home until the electors convened in Tallahassee to cast their votes. They stayed at the same hotel, guarded by security officers who also escorted them to cast their ballots at the state Capitol.
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Barrow reported from Atlanta.
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Follow Kimberlee Kruesi at https://twitter.com/kkruesi and Bill Barrow at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP
73 responses to “Trump opponents try to beat him at the Electoral College”
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Election is over. It’s time for some football. C’mon man.
Agree. Move on folks.
Boycott the 49’ers game who still have Kapernick on their roster! He an ungrateful American who has/had the chance to be where he is at today. “smh”
the white man write the laws to fit themselves – happens all through time.
…racist crap
Nah, whinning loser liberal baby!
umm, these Liberalists and Democrats wants another Civil War in the States! Can’t wait for TheDonald to teach them a thing or two about American Citizens 1st! America as a Country 1st! $20Trillion in debt and these Liberalists and Democrats still want to tax the middle class up the YingYangs!
What in the world is a “liberalist”?
must be a listless liberal
You guys in trouble if it gets to that. Outnumbered by more than 1 million anti Chumpsters. Maybe you will find out what it’s like to be water boarded. You suggested it.
There’s that love again the liberals whiner are talking about. Love, love, love…I want to kill you.
Crazy nuts they are I tell you.
Kaka, give it up.
The election happened. But the fight to impeach the grifter who just lost the popular vote is just getting started.
And here’s a big surprise! Trump is not draining the swamp. Nope! He’s inviting the biggest, ugliest swamp-monsters in the front door and turning them loose on our government and on our economy. In just one week, the president-elect has elevated a slew of Wall Street bankers, industry insiders and special interest lobbyists to run the show in his transition team. You’ve been suckered.
How many is a “slew”?
“Warren called out 22 Wall Street insiders, lobbyists, and corporate insiders that are on Trump’s transition team, or are rumored to have a spot in his cabinet that raise concerns. That includes rumored Treasury Secretary pick, Steven Mnuchin, who formerly worked at Goldman Sachs; Jeffrey Eisenach, who has worked as a consultant for Verizon; and energy lobbyist Mike McKenna.” http://fortune.com/2016/11/16/elizabeth-warren-letter-trump-transition-team/
Sad…being uninformed makes one look ignorant.
“President-elect Donald Trump ran a campaign that lambasted Wall Street and the established financial elites—but his transition team is chock full of lobbyists and corporate insiders. That is at least accounting to the watchdog-in-chief of these matters—Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).” http://fortune.com/2016/11/16/elizabeth-warren-letter-trump-transition-team/
Imagine the pain and suffering these poor loser SJW liberal whining little babies will go through when this attempt gets shut down too.
Um, the game is over losers. Accept defeat with dignity. Oh what your liberal donkeys and that is just not possible. I am gonna buy stock in tissue. That swamp might just fill back up with all the liberal tears that are going to pour a second time.
It’s those losers like krashti, ikefromportland, keaukaka, nanakuliloss, that are on the bottom of swamp.They are the problem. Let’s pull the plug and drain the swamp.
I know you are. But what am I? Na,na boo boo. I goin’ tell da teacher.
Now this is progress for real. You see what I see?
IET Sarge22, agree with your post. Watching Michigan v. Indiana, and it’s IU 7 and M 3.
POOR LOSERS!
Not going to happen
Desperation abounds among the Democrat…utter futility.
klastri (aka Kauai…Kurt on Kauai…Vector)…Ike….you folks there?
Is there a stalking law? Why you in Klastri bidness?
Whichever one you are…are you over the LANDSLIDE LOSS yet?
Come on you guys are scared shi-les-. Losing by more than a million votes. Don’t go out at night with your Chump shirts on.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Some how keaukaha still thinks its a win for the liar. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahah.
Oh man my stomach is killing me. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Daniel Brezenoff needs to”get a life”>
Speaks volumes about the entitled liberals who can’t accept reality.
has any of these LYING Liberal/Democrat moved to Canada yet?
Amy (unfunny) schumer
Lena Dunham
Barbra Streisand
Bryan Cranston
Miley Cyrus
Amy Schumer
Jon Stewart
Cher
Chelsea Handler
Samuel L. Jackson
Whoopi Goldberg
Neve Campbell
Keegan-Michael Key
George Lopez
Ne-Yo
Rev. Al Sharpton
Raven-Symoné
and you Pied Piper’s followers still believe them? “smh”
Edit (in 4 minutes)
and also tuff guy Robbie Dede Nero…who in my eyes looks like a girly boy now…
NO…non of the LOSER LIBS moved…all MOUTH NO ACTION…#SuckItUpButtercups
Too bad kaka isn’t on the list.
That because,they are all:
“ALL Talk AND NO ACTION”, Full of Baloney ,Plastic Banana Celebrities, & Ex-politician Agitators!
They Have No Shame, No Dignity.No Integrity______and_____and____fill in the blanks (lol)
However,for the Hollywood celebrities, they are feeling the sting at the Box office, no one is going out to see their movies anymore……..So Much for being “Political Correct”.
Hey Aunty Pocho,did you hear? APPLE, a staunch supporter of HRC campaign and the Democratic party,are NOW commending President Elect Trump on his Tax cut proposals! (They actually said this!)
Well? I say Helloooooo to that, Apple! Is it me or what?
Lowering the Corporate tax rate is a……..NO BRAINER! Especially if you are a CORPORATION! Now Watch! W/Apple’s exit from China? We will soon see Apple’s manufacturing companies coming back home. Imagine a U.S. product truly made in the U.S.A! IMUA President Trump!
I don’t know about them, but my US friend who lives in Europe is now making plans to move his mother over there too.
Europe, are you sane?
MSM reporting best place to vacation….reduced rates.
Love it – cant stand any of em except for Lopez and Jackson.
Talk about poor losers. If not for the EC 3 States would decide who will be president. The EC gives everyone a fair and equal vote no matter what state you live in.
Not when you lose by more than a million votes. You are seriously outnumbered. Walk softly and carry a big guava stick.
bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Its a loss
bahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Oh and its my President 1, your president 0.
Get that score!
Talking kaka again?
Your funny bro! If I remember pre defeat your were the biggest bull chet yapper there was next to your cousin klastri. The double standard of you weak, whining liberal jack azzes is comical to say the least.
So keep it up with your kaka de toro and your whining, sniveling so losing self. That’s an electoral college defeat by the way son. A LOSS. Get it! No blue ribbon for participating. Know lose with dignity; or have you losing liberals given that up along with your parties status in the White House, Congress and even across the countries Governorships. Wow, that utter total defeat must really hurt bad.
For the forthcoming libs who whine that hiLIARy won the Popular Vote…
“at this point what difference does it make…if it was a rigged election or if it was Comey…WE WON!”…end quote me
Take away the “dead” vote. Take away the “illegals” vote. And the “electronic voting” vote, Trump wins the popular vote by 7 million. Let’s investigate Michigan and see how crooked that state really was.
Hillary already conceded. It’s over! Plus, if you know the electoral college, the PARTY that wins the state selects the electoral representatives. If the popular vote went Democrat, then Democrats will be selected for the electoral college and they will vote party lines. Same as Republicans, they will vote party lines.
You’re not quite right about the electors. The electors are chosen before the election; it’s nothing to do w/the party winning the state then choosing the electors. They are chosen before the election.
From the National Archives website:
“The first part of the process is controlled by the political parties in each state and varies from state to state. Generally, the parties either nominate slates of potential Electors at their state party conventions or they chose them by a vote of the party’s central committee. This happens in each state for each party by whatever rules the state party and (sometimes) the national party have for the process. This first part of the process results in each Presidential candidate having their own unique slate of potential Electors.”
So, if the Dems carry a state, then their electors get to vote in the Electoral College. But they’ve already been chosen, before the election.
There is no requirement, in either the Constitution or Federal law that requires electors to vote for whoever carried the state. That is why some states have instituted penalties for those who don’t, like a fine.
In Washington state, there was a fuss before the election because one of the electors, Robert Satiacum, stated he wouldn’t vote for Clinton if she won Washington (as she did). He faces a fine of $1000 for doing so, but he said he didn’t care. Haven’t read what he’s doing now.
I think trying to influence the electors’ votes is fine; after all, there’s no law saying they can’t switch their vote. If people don’t want that to happen, they should change the law.
There’s a good article in Bustle talking about another angle that’s sometimes overlooked. It’s not just about changing votes to Clinton; there’s another possibility, that some conservatives who didn’t support Trump might be interested in. If enough electors refrained from voting (that is, not switching to Clinton to build her numbers in the EC), and Trump didn’t come up with the 270 EC votes he needed, the election would be sent to the House of Representatives, who could choose another Republican nominee.
These anti-Trump protesters are nothing but a bunch of whiney babies and its just disgusting to read something like this where they might try to have the electoral voters chg. their vote and swing in for that pathological liar a.k.a. Hillary Clinton. Clinton should be indicted and if she had been elected, I can tell you impeachment proceedings would have taken place for her beauracratic ignorance.
LOCK HER UP LOCK HER UP!
With a real justice dept. and Sen. Sessions as atty. gen. that could be a reality.
Lock her up to a long term contract. She’s a franchise quarterback.
We got the President the country deserves.
Another winner I commend you for seeing the truth.
So many weak minded, tin foil hat wearing people out there like this person. ““As a Christian, I came to the conclusion that Mr. Trump is not biblically qualified for that office,” Texas Republican Art Sisneros said.
Sorry Art but the bible has nothing to do with it, never did, never will.
So many people out there need to be spayed and neutered to clean up the gene pool. Sad.
….yeah I got that one too. They’ll say anything including misinterpreting the Holy Scriptures. Of course, we,as Christians ,know this is a great SIN!
This article belongs in the funnies section.
Very embarrassing for the Democrats! Now they are stooping down to extorting the electoral collages! Down right Embarrassing! There is NO other word that best describes them…besides? degrading, denial,lack of integrity, sore losers,abject to reality,desperation,insane, crazy,lolo,etc………… Give it up guys,don’t try to change the game because you lost.
Suck it up and Live to fight another day! Just remember,this is NOT your DAY!
The AP and SA need to report on the Clinton’s foundation and its pay for play.
The reason why she had to speak to her supporters the day after the election.
The many more deplorable acts she has committed.
Why not write about why President Obama has not made a strong statement about the protest on the roadways. Blocking freeways that are hindering the people’s use who may have had medical emergencies and important meetings/family occasions that they needed to attend.
Mainstream media has lost its credibility due to the lies and fabrications of their reporting or not reporting due to being part of the globalist movement.
See what’s happening since they did not ask the lying lady the same question, would you accept the results of the election if you did not win? If she is truly for the country she and Obama need to come out and address the protestors your have the right protest but destroying property and injuring innocent people will not be condoned and law enforcement will be acted upon those who are doing such.
Exactly, first amendment demonstrations are not arson, rioting and looting. That’s criminal behavior.
stumbled on an interesting perspective: “The people who hate Trump the most were responsible for his winning the election.”
IRT Jussayin, and they still fail to realize they are the cause we have a President-Elect Donald J. Trump.
If the electoral college can vote for whomever they want, we won’t need elections. The EC may be flawed but the cure may be worse: if neither candidate gets a majority in the EC, the House of Representative decides.
Trump won the electoral college, Clinton conceded. He may be a clown but he is President Elect.
These are the Americans supposingly the great believers of our constitution? Like someone mentioned in this forum, all mouth and no actions! But in this case all mouth and unbelievers of our constitution! We did not vote for the Donald but he won fair and square despite the bullies from the media to his party members and every professional politicians . Our household members accept the president-elect and wish him the best!
Where is Hillary? She should tell these protesters and now the people messing with the electoral college she has lost and he has won. That would end all s nonsense.
these democrats are now going to electoral college
so they can learn the process..they gone..
as wy hod
This is just stupid FAKE NEWS that for whatever reason the Star Advertiser thought it should pick up. Waste of space and time to read.
Hey BLM and college idiots.
You want to see a REAL revolution? Try to overturn the election.
I refer to Black Lives Matter and the SA wants to moderate my comment?
Small wonder. SA gets their political news from the New York Times….the ultimate RAG.
Moderate that SA.
Or better yet…explain why you NEED to steal from the Times?
“Michael Banerian, 22, one of Michigan’s 16 Republican electors, said he has received death threats from people who do not want him to vote for Trump.”
Is this the ‘love’ their talking about that will trump Trump. The projection of attitude and behavior by liberals could be a psychologists dream study. Really the fear they should have is of themselves. Ironic huh!
Art! you and Donna Brazile are Full of IT! Hiding behind the Christian Religion. Anytime I hear anyone using Christianity as a reason for this or that is PHONEY, unless one that wears the robe.