The 2008 Election Day LIVE Thread

[BetteDavisEyes]

AlphaGamDiva, don't be ashamed of how you voted. I have no shame in admitting that I voted for Gray Davis as the governor of California twice nor do I have shame in admitting that I signed to recall his ass. I also voted for Schwarzeneggar and have no shame in admitting it.

Take pride that you did vote and even if your candidate didn't win, you stuck to your beliefs regardless of the outcome.

[AlphaGamDiva]

Originally Posted by BetteDavisEyes

AlphaGamDiva, don't be ashamed of how you voted. I have no shame in admitting that I voted for Gray Davis as the governor of California twice nor do I have shame in admitting that I signed to recall his ass. I also voted for Schwarzeneggar and have no shame in admitting it.

Take pride that you did vote and even if your candidate didn't win, you stuck to your beliefs regardless of the outcome.

no worries i am definitely not ashamed of how i voted at all. i am a proud supporter of McCain, a man who has gone above and beyond what his call was for this country. what i was meaning was that IF President-Elect Obama turns out to be the biggest thing to this country since George Washington, then i might feel a lil twinge of embarrassment that i did not see that from the beginning as apparently so many of my fellow Americans did. i will never feel ashamed for voting McCain/Palin, but time will tell if i will ever think, "dangit" for not thinking P.E. Obama was capable. that is all.

[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.

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

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

Which section please? And also, what about Alaska and Maine, who split up their votes. Or do they have different electors? Sorry for all the questions.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

Which section please? And also, what about Alaska and Maine, who split up their votes. Or do they have different electors? Sorry for all the questions.

Article II, sections 2:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

Note the "in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct." That means each state decides how to appoint electors. Most states have a winner-take-all system, where the electors from that state vote for whoever won the popular vote in that state.

As for Maine and Nebraska (not Alaska), they apportion their votes, I believe, by Congressional district. One elector comes from each Congressional district and votes for whoever won the popular vote their Congressional district. The remaining two electors vote for whoever won the popular vote statewide.

As for the other question, the first paragraph of the Twelfth Amendment:

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and all persons voted for as Vice-President and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

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.

I totally understand what you are talking about. And I know that we aren't voting for the candidates. But if what I quoted was an "overstatement" it wasn't mine, but the government's overstatement because I quoted them directly.

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Article II, sections 2:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

Note the "in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct." That means each state decides how to appoint electors. Most states have a winner-take-all system, where the electors from that state vote for whoever won the popular vote in that state.

As for Maine and Nebraska (not Alaska), they apportion their votes, I believe, by Congressional district. One elector comes from each Congressional district and votes for whoever won the popular vote their Congressional district. The remaining two electors vote for whoever won the popular vote statewide.

As for the other question, the first paragraph of the Twelfth Amendment:

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and all persons voted for as Vice-President and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate.

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

^^^Yeah, I wonder how many people know that the process (the technical, actual process) of the electoral college isn't anywhere near being complete yet? The general election is just the start, here's the rest of the schedule:

November 4, 2008 - General Election: The voters in each State choose electors to serve in the Electoral College. As soon as election results are final, the States prepare seven or nine original "Certificates of Ascertainment" of the electors chosen, and send one original along with two certified copies (or three originals, if nine were prepared) to the Archivist of the United States.

December 15, 2008 - Meeting of Electors: The electors in each State meet to select the President and Vice President of the United States. The electors record their votes on six "Certificates of Vote," which are paired with the six remaining original "Certificates of Ascertainment." The electors sign, seal and certify the packages of electoral votes and immediately send them to the President of the Senate, the Archivist of the United States and other designated Federal and State officials.

December 24, 2008 - Deadline for Receipt of Electoral Votes: The President of the Senate, the Archivist of the United States, and other designated Federal and State officials must have the electoral votes in hand.

January 6, 2009 - Counting Electoral Votes in Congress: The Congress meets in joint session to count the electoral votes (unless Congress passes a law to change the date).

http://www.archives.gov/federal-regi...q.html#process

Thank you both!

okay, so it was Nebraska..interesting...

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by epchick

I totally understand what you are talking about. And I know that we aren't voting for the candidates. But if what I quoted was an "overstatement" it wasn't mine, but the government's overstatement because I quoted them directly.

Ah well, should we say "close enough for government work"?.