Electoral College Names Donald Trump U.S. President-Elect Despite Last-Minute Protests
The Electoral College has spoken, and Donald Trump has officially been named President-elect of the United States, last-ditch protests notwithstanding.
According to a report from CNN, Trump got the crucial vote from Texas electors, 36 of whom had voted for Trump. Two other electors from the state had ignored the results, while one elector each had voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Texas Rep. Ron Paul. Still, that was more than enough to push Trump over the crucial 270-vote mark.
Per the final count from the Electoral College, Donald Trump had a total of 304 electoral votes, wrote CNN. Hillary Clinton had 224 votes, while other candidates received six, courtesy of so-called “faithless electors.” As of this writing, Hawaii’s four electors, who are expected to endorse Clinton, have yet to vote. During November’s presidential elections, Trump had gotten a total of 306 electoral votes to Clinton’s 232.
#DonaldTrump wins Electoral College vote https://t.co/W3LVogG7RT pic.twitter.com/OXfCKPM9FI
— WFMY News 2 (@WFMY) December 19, 2016
In the state of Washington, there were three electors who voted for someone other than Trump or Clinton. One voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and another opted for Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American elder. A Minnesota elector wanted to vote for Bernie Sanders, whom Clinton defeated in the primaries to become the Democratic presidential nominee, but was disqualified and replaced with another elector who registered a vote for Clinton. Likewise, a Maine elector planned to vote for Sanders, but went for Clinton instead in the second round of voting.
In a statement prepared after the announcement of the results, Donald Trump said that his Electoral College victory marked a “historic electoral landslide victory.” This was despite Clinton winning the popular vote by close to three million votes.
“This election represents a movement that millions of hard working men and women all across the country stood behind and made possible. With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead. I will work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans. Together, we will make America great again.”
Despite’s Trump’s proclamation of a “landslide” Electoral College win, CNN noted that he was “inaccurate” in his choice of words. Assuming he would take only 56.9 percent of the electoral vote once the results are officially certified, he would have only the 44th-largest share of the vote since the start of the modern electoral system in 1804.
The Electoral College announcement came after protesters in different states had made eleventh-hour attempts earlier on Monday to block the Electoral College from voting for Trump, even if anti-Donald Trump protests and petitions in the immediate aftermath of the elections drew lots of attention, but ultimately proved unsuccessful. But unlike the protests that took place in November, the ones on Monday were largely peaceful in nature.
Protestors in Raleigh are asking NC's 15 electors not to vote for @realDonaldTrump today. They cast ballots at noon pic.twitter.com/V0ywVtcCoJ
— Briana Conner (@BrianaReports) December 19, 2016
CNN reported on protests in Tallahassee, Florida, where people were gathered outside the Senate Chamber entrance on Monday morning, including one who was quoted as being hopeful that their demonstration would make a difference. Democracy Spring’s Maxwell Frost told CNN that he was “hoping for the best.”
Over in Michigan, the New York Times highlighted a particularly inspired protest outside the state’s capitol building, where the chants had “never stopped,” even as the state’s 16 electors began their meeting and cast their vote for Donald Trump. The protesters had shouted “Vote Your Conscience,” spreading out to various floors as the meeting continued.
The situation was more subdued in Georgia and Tennessee, where all the electors in each state had voted Donald Trump, just as they had done in November. Protesters were present outside the Georgia and Tennessee state capitol buildings, but as Adam Ghassemi, Tennessee spokesman for the secretary of state, related, the anti-Donald Trump protests were nothing to be worried about.
“There were a few protesters in the gallery, and a couple of times they would try to say something or shout — but nothing outrageous.”
The Electoral College’s overall vote for Donald Trump will be certified officially in a joint Congressional session on January 6.
[Featured Image by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
