Don’t Migrate North with the Canadian Geese, or South with the Monarch Butterflies.
Become a Member of Your State’s Electoral College – Find out what your state’s process is for electing citizens to the Electoral College. Apply and walk through that process. Become an involved citizen, represent your fellow citizens, and become one of those who decide who our next President will be — until the Electoral College is abolished.
Run for Office – OurRevolution.com is Empowering a New Generation of Leaders to Transform American Politics
Volunteer – There are lots of Progressive Organizations that need Your time
Donate to Pro-Women, Pro-Immigrant, Pro-Earth, Anti-Bigotry Organizations That Need Your Support. Non-Profits and NGOs need Your dollars to make Positive Change
Search Out Groups of Like-Minded Citizens to march with and talk with.
March With Those Groups Attacked 1st to Slow the Climb of Oppression.
Monitor Congress on CSPAN. Then Call, Write & Email Legislators.
Read Books about Diverse Cultures here.
Explore Women’s Spirituality in all its forms and traditions here.
Grabbing at straws to keep our democratic voices and votes alive, I had to find out How the Electoral College Works – the next step in our electoral process. Then, I had to explore the possibility that these 538 “Electors” could vote to save us. I learned they could!
How the Electoral College Works
1) Individual citizens vote for presidential candidates.
2) In all but 2 states, the Candidate who wins each state gets all the Electoral College votes allotted to that state. The Electoral College is made up of 538 “Electors” (the number of Senators and members of the House of Representatives in our Congress) who are party-chosen “wise and informed men,” party loyalists, government officials, donors, etc. (Doesn’t sound too promising.)
3) On December 19, 2016, “Electors” gather in their respective state capitals to cast their votes for president. “Electors” are not absolutely required to vote for the candidate to whom they are pledged by the results of their state’s vote. “Electors” can vote for either candidate or another person. If “Electors” vote against the way their state voted, they usually pay a fine or are charged with a misdemeanor. These penalties can only be applied after the fact and do not change Electoral votes. Only Michigan and Minnesota currently have laws that void Electoral votes different from pledged votes.
Purpose of the Electoral College
1) to prevent a person unfit to govern from attaining office.
2) to prevent a charismatic tyrant who could manipulate the will of the people from attaining office.
(Although I was in favor of ending the Electoral College in favor of the Popular Vote, in this instance I thoroughly appreciate the wisdom of our founders.)
No “Elector” has changed the outcome of a U.S. presidential election by voting against his or her party’s designated candidate. However, it is technically constitutional, theoretically possible, and wholly unprecedented in American history.
But I can hope AND sign the petitions that are being circulated asking Electors to vote their conscience. I think we will see these petitions increasing in number in the next 30+ days prior to December 19.
Below is one such petition by Change.org that currently has over 4 million signatures by citizens like me who are hoping to bring the Electoral College votes more in line with the popular (you and me) votes.