Step Two in our peculiar process for electing our chief executive was completed yesterday (via the AP): It’s official: Barack Obama elected 44th president
In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the 538 electors performed a constitutional process to legally elect Democrat Barack Obama the 44th president.More than 131 million voters cast ballots — the most ever in a presidential election. But Obama’s election is not complete until Congress tallies the outcome of Monday’s Electoral College vote at a joint session scheduled for Jan. 6.
One would think that the fact that those 538 electors are the only voters in the US population constitutionally empowered to cast ballots for the President of the United States would be more unsettling to the broader population than it is, but it isn’t.
Granted, in a practical sense the electors act simply as messengers, but legally they are the voters.
Ah well.
On to step three.
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December 16th, 2008 at 11:42 am
[...] to Steven for the reminder and inspiration.) [...]
December 16th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
What is also startling to me is how little fanfare the Electoral College receives. You would think that after a 20-month campaign, there would be a bit more media interest in the actual Electoral College? Guess not.
December 16th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
“You would think that after a 20-month campaign, there would be a bit more media interest in the actual Electoral College? Guess not.”
Until we have an Electoral College result which disagrees with the vote. That’s coming, never doubt.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
Every vote would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections.
The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes—that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538). When the bill comes into effect, all the electoral votes from those states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
The bill is currently endorsed by 1,246 state legislators — 460 sponsors (in 47 states) and an additional 786 legislators who have cast recorded votes in favor of the bill.
The National Popular Vote bill has passed 22 state legislative chambers, including one house in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, and Washington, and both houses in California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The bill has been enacted by Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, and Maryland. These four states possess 50 electoral votes — 19% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.
See http://www.NationalPopularVote.com