2016 elections - because it's never too early

[Valmy]

I think you are wrong about that. I think the electors are appointed by the states and have laws telling them who they can vote for. For example Nebraska and Maine both have those funky rules for their congressional districts.

The only thing I've ever read about related to state control is fines that can be imposed for not voting the way you're supposed to.  Which would be a pointless law if in fact the state could control your vote.

They appoint them and can punish them for stepping out of line but beyond that have no control?

Anyway how was that guy's vote declared invalid?

[Admiral Yi]

Anyway how was that guy's vote declared invalid?

Primary is different.

[Legbiter]

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine Democratic elector casts vote for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for president instead of Hillary Clinton

https://twitter.com/joshledermanAP/status/810930933574549506

[Valmy]

Well it does fit nicely with my prediction of where this thing is going 

[Admiral Yi]

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine Democratic elector casts vote for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for president instead of Hillary Clinton

https://twitter.com/joshledermanAP/status/810930933574549506

Maybe I'm wrong.

[Valmy]

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine Democratic elector casts vote for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for president instead of Hillary Clinton

https://twitter.com/joshledermanAP/status/810930933574549506

Maybe I'm wrong.

Huh. I thought that actually meant you were right.

[Valmy]

I don't think we have had a modern election where more than one elector went faithless on the Presidential candidate.

[katmai]

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine Democratic elector casts vote for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for president instead of Hillary Clinton

https://twitter.com/joshledermanAP/status/810930933574549506

Maybe I'm wrong.

frm report I heard last night roughly half the states have no penalty for electors voting for whomever. The rest do have fines if they don't vote the winner of the states tally. But the fines are like $1,000.

[Admiral Yi]

http://theuptake.org/2016/12/18/minnesota-law-prevents-faithless-electors-from-casting-presidential-ballots/

Can't tell shit from a six word tweet.

I was wrong about state control.

[CountDeMoney]

I don't think we have had a modern election where more than one elector went faithless on the Presidential candidate.

Which reminds me:  how many of you actually learned in high school--or learned and forgot--about electors and how they vote?

[Valmy]

I don't think we have had a modern election where more than one elector went faithless on the Presidential candidate.

Which reminds me:  how many of you actually learned in high school--or learned and forgot--about electors and how they vote?

The EC is pretty weird in the sense there is one way it was designed to work and another way it actually works.

[The Minsky Moment]

Fun question: Is the Minn faithful elector law constitutional?

[Admiral Yi]

Fun question: Is the Minn faithful elector law constitutional?

Constitutional!!

Article II. Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress:

No problem there.  Nothing here says once appointed he can't be unappointed.

Twelfth Amendment

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves

This is bizarre.  Either you can't run two people from the same state on a ticket, or if they do, the electors from that state can't vote for them.

[Valmy]

Yes. There was a concern at the time that everybody would just vote for favorite sons. This actually came up during the run up to the 2000 election since both Cheney and Dubya were residents of Texas at the time. Cheney had to quickly sell his home and re-assert he lived in Wyoming just so there wouldn't be a problem for the Texas electors. IIRC anyway. Who knows how that would have gone if otherwise.

The Bush/Lieberman administration

[CountDeMoney]

Got vote for the POTUS and the VP separately, Yi; there was the SNAFU in 2004 where the elector filled in Edwards accidentally for both.