In the end, several electors across the country went rogue.
But in spite of the anti-Trump protests, liberal media hype, and the “fake news” reports that “only 37” Republican electors would need to break rank in order to throw the election, the electors who didn’t follow the will of the voters turned out to be mainly Democrats.
The rogue Democratic electors didn’t cast their ballot for Hillary Clinton as they were instructed by their states’ laws. Clinton actually lost more ground.
Three in Washington State voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell and one voted for Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American from North Dakota fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Those four represented one quarter of Washington’s electoral votes.
In Maine, one Democratic elector tried to vote for Bernie Sanders, but was called out of order and finally switched his vote to Clinton. That happened in Minnesota and Colorado, but the electors finally came around.
The Texas electors, all Republicans, pushed Trump over to the win category on Monday afternoon, casting 36 votes, giving him enough electoral votes to formally win the presidency. One Texas elector cast a vote for John Kasich, and the other for Ron Paul, a former Texas congressman. In the vice presidential race, 37 votes went to Mike Pence, and one vote was cast for Carly Fiorina.
In Alaska’s capital city, the three electors gathered at the State Library, Archives, and Museum building near downtown Juneau, and a short ceremony ensued before former Gov. Sean Parnell, Carolyn Leman and Jaqueline Tupou signed the several documents and passed them over to the director of the Division of Elections, Josie Bahnke.
The Electoral College event, which is usually low-key, was captured by 360 North television, which ended it coverage with a parting shot of newly elected Juneau Rep. Justin Parish, a Democrat, comforting a colleague as though the two were at a funeral.
Protestors in Juneau were few, and appeared to be mainly retired people shivering in the damp 35-degree weather.
But in the hours leading up to the event, Rep. Geran Tarr of Anchorage threw a long pass. She sent out a press release on her official state letterhead requesting that electors consider national security concerns before casting their vote.
Tarr asked elections to consider delaying their vote until an investigation into Russian interference in the election could be conducted.
Tarrs’ statement said:
Alaska State Representative Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage) is calling on the members of the Electoral College to examine their options and voice their support for an investigation into Russian government interference into our Presidential election.
“It has become clear that the Russian government meddled in our Presidential election by using cyber-terrorism in an effort to help Donald Trump be elected President,” said Rep. Tarr. “I want the members of the Electoral College to consider their responsibility to the nation before they vote today. They should join President Obama and Senate Majority Leader McConnell in calling for a complete investigation of the Russian hacking.”
Rep. Tarr is hopeful that electors will consider all their options, including delaying today’s Electoral College vote.
“I find it truly frightening that more and more evidence is pointing to Russian interference in our election,” said Rep. Tarr. “This is about the national security of our country and making sure we don’t allow a foreign government to influence a Presidential election in the United State.”