The 2008 Election Day LIVE Thread

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by epchick

Although it happens "very rarely," electors are not obligated to vote for the candidate that wins the majority.

Again, this is an overstatement. Laws regarding electors vary from state to state. Some states (I can't tell you whether it is a majority of states or not) have laws that prohibit an elector from voting for a candidate other than the one who won the polular vote in that state. For example, technically in North Carolina, if you voted for Obama and Biden, you were not voting for them per se, you were voting for the 15 electors nominated by the NC Democratic Party. Likewise with McCain/Palin and the 15 electors nominated by the NCGOP. The electors nominated by the party of the candidate that wins the popular vote are themselves elected as NC's electors. NC law says that "[a]ny presidential elector . . . who fails to attend and vote for the candidate of the political party which nominated such elector . . . shall forfeit and pay to the State five hundred dollars . . . . In addition to such forfeiture, refusal or failure to vote for the candidates of the political party which nominated such elector shall constitute a resignation from the office of elector, his vote shall not be recorded, and the remaining electors shall forthwith fill such vacancy" as provided by law.

In the 2000 election, Cheney had to change his "home state" from Texas to Wyoming because of the electoral college. Something about electors can't vote for two people from the same state, so either Bush wouldn't have gotten Texas' electoral votes or Cheney wouldn't have gotten the votes.

The US Constitution says electors cannot vote for more than one candidate (President or VP) from their own state.

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

They Joes will look at their paychecks and realize their $250,000 salary is missing a zero, and will then get a refund based on the Obama plan that McCain's tax plan would have reserved for the rich.

According to an article in the NYTimes, exit polls showed that voters with median incomes of $40+ thousand (the average for plumbers and pipefitters) and voters with median incomes >$200,000 both broke for Obama.

Feel free to question the source and to question exit polls.