Today's Post:
Trump secures Electoral College win
Most Republican electors voted for Donald Trump.
The controversial business mogul is now officially the president elect, having secured 304 electoral votes, 34 more than the 270 needed to win the presidency, according to The Associated Press.
In Texas, two Republican "faithless electors" voted against the popular vote in that state. One voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and the other voted for former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the Austin American-Statesman reported. In Washington state, four electors voted for a candidate other than Hillary Clinton, the Democratic challenger who won the state. Three of those electors voted for Colin Powell. A fourth voted for a Native American tribal leader. The defections were anticipated, as some Democratic electors had said they would be willing to vote for a Republican alternative to Trump. The Seattle Times characterized the vote as a symbolic protest.
In recent weeks, a campaign led by activists and electors used websites, videos and letters in an attempt to sway Republican electors to vote for someone other than Trump. Separately, nearly 50 Democratic electors signed a letter requesting an intelligence briefing regarding stories that Russian hackers interfered with the election in an attempt to help Trump win.
In another open letter published in major newspapers and online, a group of electors, college professors and legal experts encouraged members of the Electoral College to investigate and deliberate before voting.
The Hamilton Electors, a group that asked electors to take a more active role during the vote, posted a note on Facebook pointing out that while their efforts were unsuccessful, they had driven "a national conversation about the function and fitness of the Electoral College the likes of which has never been seen before."
Related:
Electors want probe before Dec. 19
Electoral College landslide or squeaker?
Hamilton essay: What it takes to be president
The role of the Electoral College
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