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Electoral College by Stephen Raher
January 24, 2005 1:40 PM
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Western Skies' Stephen Raher reports on the inner workings of the Colorado delegation to the electoral college. [LISTEN]
EXPANDED CONTENT--> To find out more about the workings of the electoral college, visit the Office of the Federal Register's electoral college page. You might also want to check out the book After the People Vote: A Guide to the Electoral College.
ERIC WHITNEY: This past Thursday was the Constitutionally-designated day for Congress to count the votes of the electoral college. This year's ceremony was more than a mere formality, thanks to a challenge mounted against Ohio's electoral votes. Unlike the high-profile Ohio story, Colorado's nine electoral votes were cast without much fanfare, as Western Skies' Stephen Raher reports.
STEPHEN RAHER: On December 13, Governor Bill Owens welcomed a handful of people to his office in the state capitol.
BILL OWENS: Ladies and gentleman, welcome to election day 2004.
RAHER: This is forty-one days after two million regular Colorado voters went to the polls. Today's election is for the nine-member Colorado delegation to the electoral college.
OWENS: You know, some might think we actually elected the president on November second of 2004, but today is in fact election day. In fifty state capitals across this country.
RAHER: And the District of Columbia.
The electors meet in each individual state in order to prevent any intrigue or vote trading which could occur if they met together in one location. That was the intent of the framers of the Constitution, according to some historians.
But there's no suspense in Governor Owens' office today. The votes of these nine electors are a foregone conclusion.
OWENS: And as chairman of the Colorado Bush-Cheney campaign I'm very pleased to report, I believe, that all nine electors are going to vote for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
RAHER: Colorado is one of twenty-seven states which requires its presidential electors to vote for the candidate for whom they were pledged.
But whether such a requirement is actually constitutional has never been tested, according to attorney Michael White, who coordinates the activities of the electoral college.
MICHAEL WHITE: The Supreme Court has never specifically ruled on the issue of whether an elector can be forced to vote for the candidate to whom they are pledged.
RAHER: Faithless votes aren't likely to be an issue in today's ceremony These electors, like Englewood philanthropist Diane Gallagher, were chosen for their party loyalty.
DIANE GALLAGHER: I am delighted to be here, very delighted to be here. I thought it essential that we elect George Bush.
RAHER: Gallagher and the other eight electors are sworn in by Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey.
MARY MULLARKEY: And now if you would all please raise your right hands and repeat after me. I, please state your name. Do solemnly swear by the ever living God. That I will support the Constitution [fade under]
RAHER: After taking the oath of office, the electors mark their two ballots--one for President and one for Vice-President--and submit them to Director of Elections, Bill Compton. The electors actually sign six separate copies of the paperwork, sets of which are kept by various officials in case votes are lost or tampered with. This year, those extra copies were actually called on in two states where votes were thought to be lost in the mail.
Before Colorado's votes are put in the mail, Secretary of State Donetta Davidson examines the ballots and announces the results.
DONETTA DAVIDSON: The votes for President and Vice President have been tallied. And there is nine votes for George W. Bush for President and nine votes for Dick Cheney for Vice President.
[applause - fades under]
[sound of safe opening]
RAHER: Ten days later, Colorado's electoral ballots are opened at the Office of the Federal Register, a few blocks north of the U.S. Capitol.
The ballots still arrive in the U.S. Mail, as they have for hundreds of years. Michael White is the person who actually receives and counts the electoral votes from each delegation. Some of the challenges he faces are surprisingly mundane.
WHITE: We are sort of the ones who go out and badger them to find out where those votes are. Did they get it in the mail? How are they sent? What address exactly?
RAHER: This year, three states' ballots were received several days after the December 20 deadline. In spite of the close call, all the votes are received in time for the official tally, which is conducted in a joint session of Congress on January 6.
But the real excitement of this years' session came in the form of a challenge--unexpected, and only the third in the history of the country. The objection forced the House and Senate to adjourn and debate for several hours. But in the end, both chambers voted to accept Ohio's electoral votes, and George Bush was officially elected president. He will be inaugurated January 20.
For Western Skies, I'm Stephen Raher.
Posted by Eric Whitney on January 24, 2005 1:40 PM | Permalink
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