23
votes
Is it possible for someone to win the presidency due to faithless electors?
Yes.
According to the 12th Amendment of the US Constitution
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
...
- 1,550
22
votes
Can faithless electors be grounds for impeachment?
The exact text of Article II, Section 4 is:
The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, ...
- 7,445
20
votes
Accepted
What effect does the recent SCOTUS decision on faithless electors have on the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact?
This decision means that the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact(NPVIC) could be more strictly enforced in states that have laws against faithless electors.
The two cases related to this decision,...
- 10.9k
15
votes
Accepted
What is the maximum count of faithless electors Clinton can possibly get in 2016?
Yes, it's mathematically possible.
Let me explain slowly ...
First, let's clarify which states don't have laws that bind the votes of electors:
Now, let's eliminate those states that Clinton won, ...
- 46.7k
12
votes
Is it possible for someone to win the presidency due to faithless electors?
Rules on faithless electors vary state-to-state. In many states, a faithless elector will be removed from their position and replaced with a more faithful elector.
If we assume the faithless electors ...
- 28k
11
votes
Accepted
Why are electoral college votes not secret?
Could a state decide to make it secret by allowing electors to, for instance, stick their ballots into a box and shuffle them before being counted?
In some states, they are secret (or at least have ...
- 90.3k
9
votes
Is it possible for someone to win the presidency due to faithless electors?
This happened in 1824. After the collapse of the Federalist Party, the US was left with just one viable political party: the Democratic-Republicans. Different factions within the party promoted ...
- 4,895
9
votes
Accepted
Is the result of the general election final on 8th of Nov, 2016?
As noted by K Dog it is the not until the Electoral college actually sits and votes that the real election takes place. Technically, what we are doing today is electing the Electors.
Since the 60s, ...
- 206
9
votes
Accepted
Why are they called faithless electors?
The history of the term's usage can be seen on Google's n-Gram:
Faithless elector, Faithless electors both show zero hits before 1965.
The first mention I could find was "Electoral College Reform: ...
- 93.3k
7
votes
Accepted
What penalties if any can be imposed on faithless electors specifically from Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin?
According to FairVote, there is no penalty (in terms of fine or prison) for the individual Elector in those states for voting differently to how they are supposed to.
In Arizona, Nevada and Michigan, ...
- 28k
6
votes
Why may one be "faithless" if "winner-takes-all" is already applicable?
The system of choosing the electors does not matter.
What matters is that the electors are people who will carry their vote, and in doing so they may choose to vote against the instructions given to ...
- 33k
6
votes
Accepted
Could Hillary Clinton become Donald Trump's Vice President?
Possible? Sure. See this question for more analysis of how many electors could switch. It's talking president, but the math is the same for vice-president (VP). It's mathematically possible.
...
- 90.3k
5
votes
Why are they called faithless electors?
This term can, IMHO, best be understood as an antonym of faithful, which is a common English word.
Definition of faithful (Entry 1 of 2)
1: steadfast in affection or allegiance : LOYAL
a faithful ...
- 92.8k
4
votes
What's the greatest number of faithless electors that the US experienced in a single US election?
Since 1912, the greatest number is one. In 1912, there were eight. The largest number ever was sixty-three, but that was because Horace Greeley died after the election but before the electoral ...
- 90.3k
4
votes
Supreme Court decision on faithless electors question
The case was brought by two 2016 electors from Washington and Colorado. In those states, as well as several others, state law requires electors who do not vote for the candidate who won the popular ...
- 28k
4
votes
Accepted
Why may one be "faithless" if "winner-takes-all" is already applicable?
Let me point out that while our ballots say we are voting for Pres/VP, we are actually voting for Electors who have pledged to vote for those candidates when they meet later as the Electoral College. ...
- 231
4
votes
When the US president is declared after winning enough states for 270 electoral votes, have they definitely won?
The definite decision only comes when the vote in the electoral college is held, counted, and the joint session of Congress certifies it. That being said, parties do take care how they select their ...
- 116k
2
votes
Is it possible for someone to win the presidency due to faithless electors?
In theory yes, although it never happened. Whether an actual occurrence would trigger a constitutional crisis and a change of Federal law (or even the amending of the US Constitution) is anybody's ...
2
votes
Supreme Court decision on faithless electors question
Does this mean that if the elector votes against the state, the state
can nullify and revert his vote?
It is up to the state. Some states fine electors who vote against the pledged candidate, but do ...
- 3,334
2
votes
Why may one be "faithless" if "winner-takes-all" is already applicable?
Each party will nominate a slate of electors in advance of the election in various ways, such as a party convention, by the party chair, or by the governor.
When it's declared that, for example, Texas ...
- 28k
2
votes
Is there any law against bribing an elector?
Found a reference elsewhere which led me to 52 USC 10307:
(c) False information in registering or voting; penalties Whoever
knowingly or willfully gives false information as to his name, address
...
- 159
2
votes
Could Hillary Clinton become Donald Trump's Vice President?
No, this is not possible.
Vice-presidential election procedure is defined by the 12th amedment
The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot
for President and Vice-...
2
votes
Is the result of the general election final on 8th of Nov, 2016?
The result of an election is almost always the same as the result of the popular vote, but even without faithless electors, the electoral college could select someone who lost the popular vote.
The ...
- 121
2
votes
Are state laws restricting electors' votes constitutional?
In hindsight, the answer is yes, it's constitutional to restrict electors' votes at least by means of state-law punishments, which may include their replacement, according to SCOTUS Chiafalo v. ...
1
vote
In the Electoral College, why can electors vote in contrast to their pledge ('faithless')?
Faceless and Faithless Electors: Two things our Founders never wanted.
In Federalist Paper #68 Alexander Hamilton describes the nature and the purpose of the Electoral College. The idea of "...
- 602
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