Election College Meets

The Electoral College meets today for their one day of "classes" without any formal athletics or anything. It's time to end class. Let's go with the popular vote. 

The "value" of the Electoral College is quite exaggerated, including a "national candidate" when the races tend to split the usual ways with the usual swing states deciding things. Some people appeal to "federalism" as if there aren't numerous other ways that is protected. Or are upset too many people live in certain states. Again, only certain states benefit. 

You can follow one electoral calendar here, including a day that this year falls on Christmas. More on this year's electors. Among the familiar names of New York electors are the governor, attorney general, the former head of the teacher's union, and so on.  

Two times this century the final count included people who did not win the popular vote. This time the winner is someone who barely did not receive a majority. If that makes you feel better. 

The third-party vote reportedly clearly goes Trump's way regarding second choices, including (no shock really) Jill Stein. So, you know, I'm not too relieved.  

Thirteen Republicans who participated in the 2020 fake electors plot, including some who are facing criminal charges, will cast real Electoral College votes Tuesday for President-elect Donald Trump, as electors in the states finalize his victory.

I saw this depressing (and disgusting; often paired emotions these days) news story. Realistically, perhaps, we should have expected even more than that. We should not forget who is coming into power, including that he should be disqualified for taking part in an insurrection (14A, sec. 3).  

[Trump v. Anderson blocked a state from keeping Trump off the ballot. It did not block electors from voting for someone else. Or, Congress determining he is not qualified. That's all academic but just saying.]  

The overall system in place is that states allot electors based on who wins the state (Congress/D.C.) with two states not using "winner takes all." Many states "pledge" electors while some (last I checked) do not. 

Those states can technically have "faithless electors" though electors tend to be party loyalists. And, there does not seem to be any faithless electors, which is how it should be. We live in a democracy. The people still more or less choose the president, ultimately, even with this silly anachronism in place.  

As the knight says in an Indiana Jones film, they chose unwisely. The new Congress, then fully Republican (again, unwisely), will make the final announcement in January with Vice President Harris presiding. Shades of 2000 without Bush v. Gore.

How depressing. Humphrey, Johnson's vice president, and loser to Nixon in 1968, skipped the job. Jefferson was vice president and oversaw the count of his own election. That wound up to be a tie, settled later.