Electors Cast Their Votes, Officially Bringing Trump to 270
- Updated Dec 20, 2016
Donald Trump has been officially elected as president of the United States after electors cast their votes in his favor.
Although there continues to be controversy about the Electoral College since Trump’s election in November, the electors officially gave him the necessary 270 votes, although one elector resigned his position, citing his conscience and religious beliefs, another cast a vote for Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and another for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
World News reports that electors are bound by tradition and sometimes law to support the winner of their state’s popular vote. There were many protests this year, with people demanding electors not vote for Trump.
More electors, however, ended up refusing to vote for Hillary Clinton than they did Donald Trump.
In Washington D.C., where electors are not legally bound to support the winner of the popular vote, four out of 12 electors departed from tradition and did not vote for Hillary Clinton who won the popular vote in D.C.
Three of these electors voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell and one voted for Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American elder from South Dakota.
Now that the electors have cast their votes, states must submit a “certificate of vote” to the Federal Register by Dec. 28. When Congress convenes in the new year, they will tally the votes and make Trump’s election to the presidency official.
Trump will then be inaugurated a couple weeks later, on January 20.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: December 20, 2016
