The pressure is building against the Electoral College just days before it votes for the 45th president of the United States.
President-elect Donald Trump may have lost the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes and counting—but his 306 electoral college votes won him the presidency. Those 306 electoral college votes are not, however, set in stone. The 538 members of the Electoral College will meet on Dec. 19 to legally elect Donald Trump as the nation’s next president. Meanwhile, your Facebook feed is likely littered with petitions calling for electors to pick 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton/any Republican candidate other than Trump—or to abolish the 200-year-old institution altogether.
The ability to lose the popular vote but win the electoral college—a mechanism the Founding Fathers created to prevent “an overbearing majority”—is a rare but interesting phenomenon of American democracy. Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election is only the fifth time a president has won without the popular vote. Trump was able to nab the Electoral College and lose the popular vote to Clinton by the largest margin in history—beating out George W. Bush‘s record of losing the popular vote to Al Gore by a total of 540,000 votes following the 2000 Florida recount.
Adding further fuel to the fire is the Central Intelligence Agency’s unofficial revelation last week that Russia orchestrated this summer’s hack against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to help Trump win.
Ironically enough, the Founding Fathers’ motives for the Electoral College to elect the president was to prevent foreign interests from making their way to the White House. As Alexandar Hamilton put it in Federalist Papers No. 68, as an independent body that only convenes once a year, there’s a lesser danger that the Electoral College would be prone to corruption or the outside interests of an institution like Congress. Hamilton wrote:
“These most deadly adversaries of republican government might naturally have been expected to make their approaches from more than one quarter, but chiefly from the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union?
But the convention have guarded against all danger of this sort, with the most provident and judicious attention. They have not made the appointment of the President to depend on any preexisting bodies of men, who might be tampered with beforehand to prostitute their votes; but they have referred it in the first instance to an immediate act of the people of America, to be exerted in the choice of persons for the temporary and sole purpose of making the appointment. And they have excluded from eligibility to this trust, all those who from situation might be suspected of too great devotion to the President in office. No senator, representative, or other person holding a place of trust or profit under the United States, can be of the numbers of the electors. Thus without corrupting the body of the people, the immediate agents in the election will at least enter upon the task free from any sinister bias.”
A Change.org petition to postpone the Electoral College’s vote pending further investigation of the reported Russian hack of Democratic Party entities has already amassed more than 150,000 signatures. A group of 10 electors—9 of them Democrats—are demanding a briefing from intelligence officials on Trump’s ties to Russia before Dec. 19. And Hillary Clinton‘s campaign voiced its support for the move.
For many of Trump’s critics, the Electoral College’s Dec. 19 vote is the last chance to prevent his ascent to the White House. Following Election Day, electors have been flooded with demands—as well as harassment and threats—to vote against Trump. But some electors have no choice but to vote for Trump. A total of 29 states bind their electors, either by law or by pledge, to the candidate that wins the state’s popular vote.
So-called “faithless electors”—electors who vote differently than the majority of voters in their states—are rare in the history of U.S. elections, but this year they’re more vocal than ever. A group of rogue electors that dub themselves the “Hamilton electors” are attempting to corral enough Never Trumpers in the Electoral College to unite in favor of another Republican presidential candidate, such as Ohio Gov. John Kasich or 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Much to the dismay of the Hamilton Electors, Kasich isn’t on board with the plan. “The election is over,” Kasich told the Associated Press.
The Hamilton Electors’ campaign comes amid elector efforts in Colorado, California, and Texas that push back against a victory for Trump. Still, most experts agree that preventing a Trump win by way of the Electoral College is wishful thinking. Like Green Party nominee Dr. Jill Stein‘s doomed vote recount, the purely citizen-fueled effort has virtually no support from the Democratic establishment and is fraught with legal obstacles. Even in Pennsylvania—where electors are not bound by law—the state’s 20 electors are loyal to Trump and show no signs of wavering.
Rogue electors aside, the vast majority of Electoral College have no interest in defying their states and altering the outcome of the election.
A total of 37 of the 306 Republican electors would have to be convinced to vote against Trump, leaving him with one fewer electoral vote than the 270 needed to win the presidency. But then it would be up to Republican-controlled House of Representatives to vote on the next president in January.
Still, if you feel the need to contact your electors and demand some accountability, there are some options. Asktheelectors.org is a handy tool that loads your state’s electors email addresses into your email client as well as allows you to post your letter publically.
And in case you’re wondering who your electors actually are, here are the 2016’s electors by state, below. (Electors with links on their names have revealed their public websites or social media profiles.)
Alaska
- Former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell
- Jacqueline Tupou
- Carolyn Leman
Arizona
- Bruce Ash
- Walter Begay Jr.
- Sharon Giese
- Robert Graham
- Alberto Gutier
- Jerry Hayden
- Carole Joyce
- Jane Pierpoint Lynch
- J. Foster Morgan
- James O’Connor
- Edward Robson
Arkansas
- Jonelle Fulmer
- Arkansas State Rep. Jonathan Barnett
- Keith Gibson
- Sharon Wright
- Tommy Land
- John Nabholz
California
- Dustin Reed
- John Ryan
- Faith Garamendi
- Kathleen Scott
- Timothy Farley
- Analea Patterson
- Janine Bera
- Denise Wells
- Mark Headley
- Susan Eggman
- James Donahue
- Christine Pelosi
- Saundra Andrews
- Mark Olbert
- Donna Ireland
- Steven Diebert
- Steve Spinner
- Celine Purcell
- Javier Gonzalez
- Vinzenz Koller
- Ana Huerta
- Stephen Natoli
- Andres Ramos
- Gail Teton-Landis
- Natalie Fortman
- Shawn Terris
- David Warmuth
- Laurence Zakson
- Nury Martinez
- Sheldon Malchicoff
- Cathy Morris
- Benjamin Cardenas
- Edward Buck
- Olivia Reyes-Becerra
- Robert Torres
- Priscilla Richardson
- Gwen Moore
- Jacki Cisneros
- John MacMurray
- Marie Torres
- Jane Block
- Andrew Krakoff
- Karen Waters
- Dorothy Vann
- Sandra Aduna
- Gregory Willenborg
- Carmen Perez
- Raymond Cordova
- Francine Busby
- Patrick Drinan
- Christine Kehoe
- Katherine Lyon
- Shirley Weber
- Eileen Feinstein Mariano
- Laphonza Butler
Colorado
- Terry Phillips
- Mary Beth Corsentino
- Jerad Sutton
- Robert Nemanich
- Amy Drayer
- Ann Knollman
- Sen. Rollie Heath
- Hon. Polly Baca
- Micheal Baca
Connecticut
- Barbara Gordon
- Ellen Nurse
- Edward Piazza
- Tyisha Walker
- Christopher Rosario
- Robert Godfrey
- Steven Jones
Delaware
- Lynn Fuller
- Lydia York
- Linda Cavanaugh
District of Columbia
- Anita Bonds
- Jack Evans
- Franklin Garcia
Florida
- Ade Aderibigbe
- Larry Ahern
- Brian Ballard
- Kristy Banks
- Michael Barnett
- LizBeth Benacquisto
- Robin Bernstein
- Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi
- John Browning
- Sharon Day
- Dena DeCamp
- Nick D
- Jeremy Evans
- John Falconetti
- Peter Feaman
- Kat Gates-Skipper
- Joe Gruters
- Debbie Hannifan
- Blaise Ingoglia
- Tony Ledbetter
- Mike Moberley
- Susan Moore
- Joe Negron
- Clint Pate
- Ray Rodrigues
- Carlos Trujillo
- Robert Watkins
- Susie Wiles
- Christian Ziegler
Georgia
- Bruce Allen Azevedo
- Brian K Burdette
- Lott Harris Dill
- John David Elliott
- James Randolph Evans
- Bobbie D. Frantz
- Linda D. Herren
- Rachel Blackstone Little
- Deborah M. McCord
- Michael Neil McNeely
- Mary L. Padgett
- Neil L. Pruitt
- Joshua Kirk Shook
- Frank B. Strickland
- Baoky Nguyen Vu (resigned)
- John B. White
Hawaii
- John Bickel
- Janice Bond
- Marie (Dolly) Strazar
- David Mulinix
Idaho
- Jennifer Locke
- Republican State Sen. Melinda Smyser
- Layne Bangerter
- Caleb Lakey
Illinois
- Toni Preckwinkle
- Carrie Austin
- Silvana Tabares
- Jesus “Chuy” Garcia
- Pam Cullerton
- Nancy Shepardson
- Vera Davis
- William Marovitz
- Barbara Flynn Currie
- John R. Daley
- Michelle Mussman
- Lauren Beth Gash
- Kevin Duffy Blackburn
- Jerry Costello
- Carol Ammons
- Mark Guethle
- Flint Taylor
- John Nelson
- Don Johnston
Indiana
- Stephanie Beckley
- Kevin Steen
- Kelly Mitchell
- Daniel Bortner
- Laura Campbell
- Jeff Cardwell
- Donald Hayes
- Randall Kirkpatrick
- Edwin Simcox
- Ethan Manning
- Chuck Williams
Iowa
- James Whitmer
- Don Kass
- Dylan Keller
- Alan Braun
- Kurt Brown
- Polly Granzow
Kansas
- Ashley J. McMillan
- Helen Van Etten
- Mark Kahrs
- Ron Estes
- Clayton L. Barker
- Kelly Arnold
Kentucky
- Jim Skaggs
- David Disponett
- Robert Duncan
- Michael Carter
- Scott Lasley
- Walter Reichert
- Mary Singleton
- Troy Sheldon
Louisiana
- Chris D. Trahan
- Lloyd A. Harsh
- Charles L. “Charlie” Buckels
- Louis Avalone
- Kay Kellogg Katz
- Lennie Rhys
- Garret Monti
- Steven “Scott” Wilfong
Maine
- Diane Denk
- David Bright
- Sam Shapiro
- Richard Bennett
Maryland
- Lesley Israel
- Robert Leonard
- Lillian Holmes
- Salome Peters
- Hagner Mister
- Claudia Martin
- Courtney Watson
- Karen Britto
- Susan Ness
- Wayne Rogers
Massachusetts
- Nazda Alam
- Mary Gail Cokkinias
- Marie Turley
- Dori Dean
- Donna Smith
- Cheryl Cumings
- Marc Pacheco
- Curtis Lemay
- Jason Palitsch
- Paul Yorkis
- Parwez Wahid
Michigan
- John Haggard
- Jack Holmes
- Kelly Mitchell
- Judy Rapanos
- Henry Hatter
- Robert Weitt
- Wyckham Seelig
- Ross Ensign
- Michael Banerian
- Brian Fairbrother
- Ken Crider
- Mary Vaughn
- Jim Rhoades
- William Rauwerdink
- Hank Fuhs
- Joseph Guzman
Minnesota
- Fred Knudson
- Roger Gehrke
- Marge Hoffa
- Raymond Hess
- Muhammed Abdurrahman
- Betsy O’Berry
- Mike Wammer
- Mary Murphy
- Jules Goldstein
- Sherrie Pugh
Mississippi
- Ann Hebert
- Joe F. Sanderson Jr.
- Bradley R. White
- J. Kelley Williams
- William G. Yates Jr.
- Wirt A. Yerger, Jr.
Missouri
- Tim Dreste
- Jan DeWeese
- Hector Maldonado
- Sherry Kuttenkuler
- Casey Crawford
- Tom Brown
- Cherry Warren
- Scott Clark
- Al Rotskoff
- Susie Johnson
Montana
- Thelma Baker
- Nancy Ballance
- Dennis Scranton
Nebraska
- Phil Berlin
- John Dinkel
- Chuck Conrad
- Craig Safranek
- Paul Burger
Nevada
- Dayananda Prabhu Rachakonda
- Larry Jackson
- Joetta Brown
- Paul Catha II
- Greg Gardella
- Teresa Benitez-Thompson
New Hampshire
- Bev Hollingworth
- Terie Norelli
- Carol Shea Porter
- Dudley Dudley
New Jersey
- Alaa R. Abdelaziz
- Tahsina Ahmed
- Anthony Cureton
- Lizette Delgado-Polanco
- Edward Farmer
- Christopher D. James
- Leroy J. Jones Jr.
- Retha R. Onitiri
- Marlene Prieto
- Ronald G. Rios
- Hetty M. Rosenstein
- Kelly Steward Maer
- Mary Ann Wardlow
- Heriberta Loretta Winters
New Mexico
- Lorraine Spradling
- Edward Torres
- Noyola Archibeque
- John Padilla
- Roxanne Allen
New York
- Bill Clinton
- N.Y. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
- N.Y. Lt. Gov. Kathy C. Hochul
- Thomas P. DiNapoli (54th Comptroller of New York)
- N.Y. Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman
- Carl E. Heastie (Speaker of the New York State Assembly)
- Andrea Stewart-Cousins
- NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Letitia A. James (New York City Public Advocate)
- Scott M. Stringer (New York City Comptroller)
- Melissa Mark-Viverito
- Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown
- Christine C. Quinn (former Speaker of the New York City Council)
- Basil A. Smikle, Jr.
- Melissa Sklarz
- Mario F. Cilento
- Rhonda Weingarten
- George K. Gresham
- Daniel F. Donohue
- Stuart H. Appelbaum
- Gary S. LaBarbera
- Rochester Mayor Lovely A. Warren
- Syracuse Mayor Stephanie A. Miner
- Albany Mayor Katherine M. Sheehan
- Anastasia M. Somoza
- Sandra Ung
- Ruben Diaz, Jr. (President of the Borough of the Bronx in NYC)
- Hazel L. Ingram
- Rachel D. Gold
North Carolina
- Linda Harper
- Charles Staley
- Karen Kozel
- Martha Jenkins
- Celeste Stanley
- Donald Webb
- Robert Muller
- Jennifer Dunbar
- Andrea Arterburn
- Glenn Pinckney Sr.
- Mark Delk
- David Speight
- Ann Sullivan
- Lee Green
- David Smuski
North Dakota
- Duane Mutch
- John Olson
- Ronald Carlisle
Ohio
- Marilyn Ashcraft (Secretary of the Ohio Republican Party)
- Curt Braden (member of the Stark County Board of Elections)
- Rep. Christina Hagan (R-Alliance)
- Lee-Ann Johnson (wife of U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson)
- Ralph King
- Alex Triantafilou (Hamilton County GOP Chair)
- Mary Anne Christie
- Corey Schottenstein
- Jim Dicke II
- Cheryl Blakely
- Richard Jones
- Tom Coyne
- Judy Westbrock
- Leonard Hubert (head of Ohio’s Civil Rights Commission)
- Tracey Winbush
- James Wert
- Brian Schottenstein
- Ed Crawford
Oklahoma
- David Oldham
- Teresa Lyn Turner
- Mark Thomas
- Bobby Cleveland
- Lauree Elizabeth Marshall
- Charles W. Potts
- George W. Wiland, Jr.
Oregon
- Frank James Dixon
- Karen A. Packer
- Austin Folnagy
- Leon H. Coleman
- Harry W. “Sam” Sappington III
- Timothy Norman Powers Rowan
- Laura Gillpatrick
Pennsylvania
- Robert Asher
- Mary Barket
- Robert Bozzuto
- Theodore (Ted) Christian
- Michael Downing
- Margaret Ferraro
- Robert Gleason
- Christopher Gleason
- Joyce Haas
- *Ash Khare
- James McErlane
- Elstina Pickett
- Patricia Poprik
- Andrew Reilly
- Carol Sides
- Glora “Lee” Snover
- Richard Stewart
- Lawrence Tabas
- Christine Toretti
- Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh
Rhode Island
- Clay Pell
- Grace Diaz
- L. Susan Weiner
- Frank J. Montanaro
South Carolina
- Glenn McCall
- Matt Moore
- Terry Hardesty
- Jim Ulmer
- Brenda Bedenbaugh
- Bill Conley
- Shery Smith
- Moye Graham
- Jerry Rovner
South Dakota
- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley
- South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard
- Matt Michels
Tennessee
- Beth Scott Clayton Amos (State Executive Committee member for the Republican party)
- Joey Jacobs of Brentwood
- Jason Mumpower
- Susan Mills
- Liz Holiway
- Lynne Davis
- Tom Lawless
- Mike Callahan
- Pat Allen
- Shannon Haynes
- Drew Daniel
Texas
- Marty Rhymes
- Thomas Moon
- Carol Sewell
- John Harper
- Sherrill Lenz
- Nicholas Ciggelakis
- Will Hickman
- Landon Estay
- Rex Lamb
- Rosemary Edwards
- Matt Stringer
- Shellie Surles
- Melissa Kalka
- Sandra Cararas
- David Thackston
- Robert Bruce
- Margie Forster
- Scott Mann
- Marian K. Stanko
- Tina Gibson
- Ken Muenzter
- Alexander Kim
- Virginia Abel
- Curtis Nelson
- Kenneth Clark
- Candace Noble
- Fred Farias
- John Dillard
- Tom Knight
- Marian Knowlton
- Rex Teter
- Stephen (Chris) Suprun Jr.
- Jon Jewett
- Susan Fischer
- Lauren Byers
- William Greene
- Mary Lou Erben
- Arthur Sisneros
Utah
- Cherilyn Eagar
- Kris Kimball
- Jeremy Jenkins
- Peter Greathouse
- Chia-Chi Teng
- Richard Snelgrove
Vermont
- Peter Shumlin
- Martha Allen
- Tim Jerman
Virgina
- Bethany J. Rowland
- Debra Stevens Fitzgerald
- James Harold Allen Boyd
- Jasper L. Hendricks, III
- Jeanette C. Sarver
- K. James O’Connor, Jr.
- Kathy Stewart Shupe
- Keith A. Scarborough
- Lashrecse D. Aird
- Susan Johnson Rowland
- Terry C. Frye
- Virginia L. Peters
- Vivian J. Paige
Washington
- Elizabeth Caldwell
- Dan Carpita
- Peter Chiafalo
- Levi Guerra
- Eric Herde
- Joshua Ivey
- Esther John
- Julie Johnson
- Varisha Khan
- Chris Porter
- Robert Satiacum, Jr.
- Phillip Tyler
West Virginia
- Ron Foster
- State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey
- Ann Urling
- Mac Warner
- Fifth elector TBA
Wisconsin
- Kim Travis
- Kim Babler
- Brian Westrate
- Brad Courtney
- Kathy Kiernan
- Dan Feyen
- Jim Miller
- Bill Berglund
- Steve King
- Mary Buestrin
Wyoming
- Bonnie Foster
- Teresa Richards
- Karl Allred
