This is a space for those who like and have supported Hillary Clinton, as we consider the way forward. Those who degrade her and her supporters will be met with recipes and pictures of pets.
Today is the day the electors vote for President. It is widely expected that they’ll vote for Donald Trump. Not because it’s the moral thing, or the proper purpose of the Electoral College, but because they have had it drilled into them that they must vote for whomever received the majority in their state, and that they must not betray their own party.
Nonetheless, the impossible—faithless electors choose Hillary Clinton, nor Not!DonaldTrump—could be possible by the end of today. Here is the news on the issue:
Drama-Filled Electoral College Vote a Fitting Ending to 2016 Election:
The weeks since the election have seen an unprecedented number of headlines teasing various scenarios about changing the results in the Electoral College — whose 538 members meet Monday in the 50 state capitals to cast their official votes. Trump won the Electoral College, 306 votes to Hillary Clinton's 232, but lost the popular vote by over 2.5 million votes [almost 2.9 million, but who’s counting?], the third worst margin since 1824.
A handful of Democrats and even a few Republican electors have embarked on an unusual effort to deny Trump the victory — or at the very least, raise the specter of changing the election.
The Electoral College Votes Monday: Here’s What You Need to Know:
How does someone become an elector?
The name electors may bring up images of chosen people, picked out of the population for their sage wisdom. The truth is far more mundane. Really, they’re just people chosen by state political parties. The process to become an elector varies by state. Some electors are picked at congressional-district and state conventions, while in other states it is the party leaders who pick the electors. There are some well-known names in the mix (Bill Clinton is an elector, for example), but most of the electors are far from household names.
How many electors are there?
The total is 538, as each state has an elector for each House and Senate seat in Congress, including three electors from the District of Columbia. California has the most electors with 55, while states with small populations such as Montana and Alaska get three each.
Harvard law professor Larry Lessig claims that 20 electors are wavering:
On 13 December 2016, Harvard law professor Larry Lessig announced that he was aware of "at least twenty Republican Electors who are seriously considering voting their conscience — and not voting for Donald J. Trump."
Lessig launched an organization called Electors Trust, where he offers members of the Electoral College — who are scheduled to cast their votes on 19 December 2016 — legal counsel and support for potentially rejecting the votes in their state and refusing to cast their ballots for Trump, thereby blocking him from being elected (a failsafe that was written into the Constitution, but has never been used to overturn a presidency).
Activists take to the streets to protest Donald Trump ahead of electoral college vote:
But many Hillary Clinton supporters point out that she won the popular vote by almost 3 million votes and are urging electors to block Trump’s path to the White House. While that is unlikely, they said they want to send a message of defiance over some of Trump’s proposed policies, including a crackdown on illegal immigration.
Hundreds of activists from groups and unions that fight for the rights of Muslims, Jews, immigrants in the country illegally and the LGBT community marched through the streets of downtown Sunday, which is recognized by the United Nations as International Migrants Day. Many carried signs that said, “Stop Trump,” “I’m not a Criminal, I pay Taxes,” and “Fearless, United.”
No matter what happens, we fight on. This is your open thread.