Even if Hillary Clinton wins Washington state, two Democratic electors may not be giving their vote to the former secretary of state.
One Democratic elector told the Associated Press on Friday that he absolutely won’t be supporting Clinton, calling her a “criminal.”
“No, no, no on Hillary. Absolutely not. No way,” said Robert Satiacum, a Bernie Sanders supporter and member of Washington’s Puyallup Tribe.
“I hope it comes down to a swing vote and it’s me,” he said. “Good. She ain’t getting it. Maybe it’ll wake this country up.”
But now he may not be the only one.
Bret Chiafalo, a Democratic elector from Everett who is also a Sanders supporter, told The Seattle Times he’s considering withholding his vote as well—exercising his right to be a “conscientious elector.”
“I have no specific plans, but I have not ruled out that possibility,” he said.
The electors meet Dec. 19 at state capitols to cast the Electoral College ballots. There is no constitutional requirement they follow their states’ popular votes, but so-called “faithless electors”
are a rarity and have never decided an election.
In Washington state, there is a $1,000 fine for electors who do not honor the election results.
Satiacum said that fine doesn’t bother him and that he could not face his six children and 10 grandchildren if he cast a vote for Clinton. He was also critical of Republican Donald Trump and said he doesn’t know what he’ll do with his vote.
Chiafalo, 37, said he believes state laws that impose fines or other punishments for electors who do not follow the popular vote are unconstitutional.
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Chiafalo is hoping to create a website to educate electors from both sides of the aisle about their right. He also said the Electoral College should be dumped because it’s an outdated system, but nevertheless, “as long as it is the law of the land we need to be honest about it and respect it.”
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