Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2020 January 11

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

January 11

Votes by US Electoral College

Hi, I have a request: how are the votes of the American Electoral College, sent to the Senate for final ratification? Mail, fax? Thanks so much. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.41.100.198 (talk) 17:37, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

Thisshould explain the process. Beach drifter (talk) 18:45, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

Well, it doesn't. It only says they have to "send" them "to designated Federal and State officials as soon as possible". Try again? --142.112.159.101 (talk) 05:00, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

It’s all in there, I can’t read it for you. Beach drifter (talk) 18:22, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

It says that the actual certificates must be sent, which rules out faxes and such. It doesn't specify exact manner of delivery (USPS, FedEx, random flunky in his personal car, etc) because such is not important and could become outdated (ie: if the law specified FedEx and FedEx went out of business it would be impossible to follow the law). --Khajidha (talk) 20:39, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

From the website:

Certificates of Ascertainment should begin arriving at NARA and OFR within a few weeks after election day. NARA's mailroom makes a record of the Certificates of Ascertainment it receives and transmits them to the OFR

Certificates of Vote begin arriving at NARA and OFR shortly after the Meeting of the Electors. NARA's mailroom makes a record of the Certificates of Vote it receives and transmits them to the OFR.

-This makes it clear that most States mail their results to the National Archives and Records Adminstration/Office of Federal Register.

House and Senate staff meet with OFR staff to inspect the Certificates of Vote in late December. If any State’s Certificate fails to reach the President of the Senate, the President of the Senate calls on OFR to deliver duplicate originals in its possession to complete the set held by Congress.

Congress meets in joint session in the House of Representatives on January 6 to count the electoral votes. The Vice President, as President of the Senate, is the presiding officer. Tellers open, present, and record the votes of the States in alphabetical order.

-This makes it appear that the National Archives/Federal Register hand deliver the papers to the Senate, where they are opened and counted. Beach drifter (talk) 07:15, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

Electoral College, New York

One question, I’ll be telegraphic. Does Electoral College in this state, (New York), have to put a cross on the name of the candidate on the ballot, when he’s called to vote for both the President and the Vice President? Thanks. http://www.archives.nysed.gov/education/electoral-college-ballot-bill-clinton-1992 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.41.100.198 (talk) 19:29, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

1. What's 'telegraphic?' 2. The question is unclear 3. This looks like some kind of do-my-homework question. Temerarius (talk) 22:49, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

I try to explain myself better: when the ballot is given to the member of the electoral college, he must affix a cross, (X), to make sure that his is a formally expressed vote, before inserting the ballot in an ballot box? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.41.100.198 (talk) 10:09, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

In Clinton's first election, my boss was an elector. He has what looks like a diploma framed in his office. It says that he pledges to vote for Clinton. I asked him about the vote. He said that he was given a 3x5 manilla card with Clinton's name in fancy print. That is what he used to cast his vote, so he doesn't have it now. He didn't mention anything about placing an X or cross on any ballot. 135.84.167.41 (talk) 13:34, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

Thanks a lot, wow ... However the voters are not bound, so they could vote for any other candidate. In New York state, this little ballot is given to the voter from what you told me, and then ratifies the vote by signing a certificate, roughly speaking. But if one of the 33 voters had wanted to vote for another candidate, couldn't they have done so? Did they have to insert the ballot delivered to them in the ballot box? Thank you so much. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.41.100.198 (talk) 13:55, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

The voters are not bound by federal law. They may be so bound by state law. Every state in the country has its own laws regulating their electors. Many states have formal requirements for how their electors are required to vote; in such states the actual vote is a pro forma affair, as regulations by the state do not allow such voters to free lance. You can see a state-by-state rundown of what each state's regulations and laws are here. --Jayron32 18:54, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

It may be worth pointing out that the validity of such state laws/regulations is disputed, and could be tested in the Supreme Court before too long. It appears that they are not currently valid in the 10th Circuit, following Baca v. Colorado Department of State. --Trovatore (talk) 19:20, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

And, before it is asked, see faithless electors. 135.84.167.41 (talk) 19:00, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

2016 New York State Electoral College Meeting posted by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's official YouTube Channel. Watching it, I did think it was largely ceremonial, with a lot of formal procedures and motions. The actual casting of the ballots by the electors begins around the 21:44 mark, with Bill Clinton and Andrew Cuomo being the first ones. The electors put one ballot card in one box for president and another card in the other box for VP. They then go and sign documents, which I assume include the Certificates of Ascertainment and Certificates of Vote mentioned in the previous question. The announcement of the results of the votes then begins at around 32:42, but again everything seemed pro forma and ceremonial here.

Keep in mind that other states may have a different electoral ballot format. As previously mentioned, not all states have formal requirements for how their electors are required to vote. This article has a picture of a Pennsylvania ballot with just a single fill-in-the-blank line, where the elector wrote in Trump. This article includes an image of one from Texas, with their electors being instructed to actually put an "x" next to the candidate's name: the first line is pre-printed with Trump's name, and the other line is a fill-in-the-blank to use for a faithless elector. And here's CNN's video about the faithless elector in Colorado, who crossed out the pre-printed Hilary Clinton and wrote in Johh Kasich. Zzyzx11 (talk) 05:38, 14 January 2020 (UTC)