[EM] question about electoral college in the USA

[Alex Fink]

How does a POTUS vote in MA or VT for anyone but the runner-up help the
winner? Voting to bring up a 3rd-party's numbers seems to me to be the only
substantive vote you could actually make.

On Wednesday, June 22, 2016, robert bristow-johnson <
rbj at audioimagination.com> wrote:

>
>
> ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
> Subject: [EM] question about electoral college in the USA
> From: "Forest Simmons" <fsimmons at pcc.edu
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','fsimmons at pcc.edu');>>
> Date: Tue, June 21, 2016 9:18 pm
> To: "EM" <election-methods at lists.electorama.com
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','election-methods at lists.electorama.com');>>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > In a recent counterpunch article Dave Lindorff suggested that Sanders
> > should go ahead and run on the Green ticket, but with the following
> > agreement: if Trump gets more electoral votes than either Clinton or
> > Sanders, then (of these two) the one with lesser support should withdraw
> > from the race and direct his electors (in the electoral college) to vote
> > for the other.
> >
> > It seems reasonable, but I wonder if the rules really do allow that.
> >
>
> there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution nor federal law that prevents
> duly-elected electors from voting for whomever they want to vote for on
> January 6th.  since the electors are chosen according to state law, i think
> that some of the states might have law proscribing electors from voting for
> anyone other than their pledge, but i dunno what the consequences would be
> if they didn't.  i sorta don't think that a state can stop an elector from
> voting for whom they want, but they could punish or sanction them somehow
> if it isn't whom they were pledged to vote.  i know once in a while you
> might see *one* or two goofy votes in the tally of 538.
>
> these folks are called "faithless electors", i think.
>
> BTW, Bernie has made it clear that he is not running for prez as anything
> other than the Dem nominee.  to the chagrin and disbelief of some of the
> Bernie or Bust crowd.  i am definitely a Bernie supporter and want him to
> go all the way to the convention with his delegates, but i am awful scared
> of Cap'n Combover being promoted to President.  and we have something like
> FPTP, so i recognize that my vote for any candidate other than the runner
> up actually helps the winner.
>
>
> --
>
> r b-j                      rbj at audioimagination.com
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','rbj at audioimagination.com');>
>
> "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
>
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