2012 Presidential Campaign Blog

Connecticut's Electors Cast Ballots In 2012 Electoral College

SECRETARY OF THE STATE SEALS VOTE OF CONNECTICUT’S SEVEN ELECTORS FOR DEMOCRATS BARACK OBAMA AND JOE BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT

HARTFORD: Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today presided over the historic Electoral College vote in which Connecticut’s 7 Electors cast ballots for Democrats Barack Obama for President and Joe Biden for Vice President – making the re-election of this country’s first ever African-American President official. The Electoral College vote was held in the State Senate Chambers at the State Capitol in Hartford at noon and was attended by more than 100 students and other guests.

According to the U.S. Constitution, each state is awarded a number of electoral votes equal to its total number of representatives in Congress. With 2 U.S. Senators and 5 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Connecticut is awarded 7 Electoral votes. A slate of 7 Electors from Connecticut were actually chosen by their political party and then elected by voters on November 6, 2012. With a result of 905,083 votes to 634,892 votes, Connecticut voters chose to elect the Democratic Party Electors who had pledged to cast ballots for the Obama/Biden ticket.

The Electors cast their ballots for President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden during a brief noontime ceremony in the Senate Chambers broadcast live on CTN with musical accompaniment provided by the Madrigal Singers of New Britain High School. The ballots were then wax sealed staff of the Secretary of the State’s office so they can be delivered to Congress, where a joint session of the House and Senate will take place on January 6, 2013 to officially count the ballots from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Vice President Joe Biden will preside over that special joint session of Congress.

President Barack Obama defeated Republican candidate former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts by a total of 336 to 202 Electoral votes and will be sworn into office for another four-year term as the 44th President of the United States on Sunday January 20, 2013.

Connecticut’s 7 Electors are: Jim Ezzes (Westport), Carmen Colon (Bridgeport), Jaqueline James (New Haven), Jason Jakubowski (West Hartford), Larry Pleasant (Bloomfield), Ronald Schurin (Mansfield), Mildred Torres-Ferguson (Meriden)

Arizona's Presidential Electors Cast Their Electoral College Votes

Arizona's Presidential Electors Cast their Electoral College Votes

WHO: Secretary of State Ken Bennett, Presidential Electors
WHAT: Meeting of Arizona's Republican Presidential Electors
WHERE: State Capitol Executive Tower, 1700 W. Washington Street, 2nd Floor
WHEN: Monday, December 17, 2012, at 11:00 a.m.

PHOENIX – Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett today announced the official meeting of the 2012 Presidential Electors to cast their Electoral College votes for President and Vice President of the United States.

The meeting Presidential Electors will be on Monday, December 17, 2012, at 11 a.m. on the 2nd floor behind the elevators in the Executive Tower. The media are invited to attend.

According to the provisions of law governing Presidential Elections the ballots must be cast on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December following the Presidential Election. Eleven electors are scheduled to cast their votes by signing a certificate of vote.

For more information on the Electoral College, visit the National Archive and Records Administration. (http://archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college)

The 2012 Republican Presidential Elector's are: Don Ascoli, State Representative Steve Montenegro, Paul Gilbert, Tom & Kristine Morrissey, Rev. C.T. Wright, Gila River Indian Community Gov. Gregory Mendoza, Rob Haney, Leona Johnston, John Rhodes and Malcolm Barrett, Jr. Secretary of State Bennett will administer the Oath of Office to the electors, and also witness the certificates. This event will officially conclude the 2012 election cycle.

Arkansas’ Six Presidential Electors Cast Votes For Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan

Arkansas’ Six Presidential Electors Cast Votes For Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan

Little Rock, Ark. – Presidential Electors met today at the State Capitol for the 2012 Electoral College to cast Arkansas’ six votes for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

The six Presidential Electors were selected by the state Republican Party at their July 28 State Convention in Hot Springs. There are four Congressional District Electors and two At-Large Electors. The Congressional District Electors are Benny Speaks of Mountain Home, Chairman Doyle Webb of Benton, Robin Lundstrum of Springdale and Larry Bailey of Hot Springs. At-Large Electors are Rep. Jonathan Barnett of Siloam Springs and Reta Hamilton of Bella Vista.

“It’s an honor and privilege to cast our vote on behalf of hardworking conservative Arkansans,” said State GOP Chairman Doyle Webb. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to participate in the Electoral College as it was established by our Founding Fathers.”

Rep. Jonathan Barnett, who is also the Arkansas National Committeeman on the Republican National Committee (RNC), served as Chairman of the 2012 Electoral College.

In November, Romney won nearly 61 percent of the vote in Arkansas, earning the state’s six Electoral College votes.

Mississippi Meeting of Presidential Electors

Mississippi Meeting of Presidential Electors

The Meeting of Presidential Electors will be held Monday, December 17, 2012 at 10:00 am in Room 114 of the State Capitol in Jackson, Miss.

The Presidential Electors will cast their electoral votes in the 2012 General Election for President.

Kentucky Electors Vote for President and Vice President of the United States

Kentucky Electors Vote for President and Vice President of the United States

Kentuckians from across the Commonwealth gathered at the State Capitol today to observe Kentucky’s eight Presidential Electors cast their ballots for President and Vice President of the United States.

“The meeting of the electors is a special opportunity to see our democracy in action,” said Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. “It’s great to have people come together to witness our electors cast their votes on behalf of all Kentuckians.”

Pursuant to the United States Constitution, the President and Vice President are elected by the Electoral College, which is comprised of electors from each state. The number of electors allocated to each state is equal to the number of Senators and Representatives the state has in Congress.

Because Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan won Kentucky’s popular vote, Kentucky’s electors are those nominated by the Republican Party:

• Terry E. Forcht (Whitley) – at-large
• Mira Ball (Fayette) – at-large
• Wilma W. Cooper (Christian) – 1st Congressional District
• Mary Ann Baron (Green) – 2nd Congressional District
• Lawrence E. Cox (Jefferson) – 3rd Congressional District
• Kevin Sell (Campbell) – 4th Congressional District
• Robert L. Mitchell (Knox) – 5th Congressional District
• Dave Disponett (Anderson) – 6th Congressional District

Throughout the United States, each state’s electors meet on the same day in their respective state capitals to cast their electoral votes. Kentucky is one of 24 states in which the electors are not required to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote. Nonetheless, Romney and Ryan received all eight of Kentucky’s electors’ votes for President and Vice President, respectively.

The electors’ votes will be transmitted to the President of the U.S. Senate, who on January 8, 2013, will open and read before both houses of Congress the electoral votes from each state. The candidates with the most electoral votes will be declared the next President and Vice President of the United States.

The meeting was held in the Supreme Court’s Chambers in the State Capitol in Frankfort. In addition to Grimes, Sen. Damon Thayer welcomed the electors, and Professor Joshua A. Douglas from the University of Kentucky College of Law made remarks regarding the history of the electoral college. The ceremony also featured performances of The Star-Spangled Banner by Dr. Everett McCorvey, Director of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, and My Old Kentucky Home by the Collins Lane Elementary Fifth Grade Select Ensemble.

Minnesota Electoral College Cast Ballots for United States President and Vice President Today

Minnesota Electoral College Cast Ballots for United States President and Vice President Today

ST. PAUL, Minn.—December 17, 2012—Secretary of State Mark Ritchie presided over Minnesota’s 39th Electoral College Assembly held in the State Capitol Rotunda today at noon.  After Governor Mark Dayton completed his remarks, Minnesota’s 10 Presidential Electors cast their ballots for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden before a crowd of over a hundred government officials, legislative leaders, students and members of the public.

Minnesota's 2012 electors are from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and include:  Lucy Buckner, Burnsville; Jettie Ann Hill, Minneapolis; Dee Long, Minnetonka;  Joe Moren, Hibbing;  Al Patton, Sartell;  Shanti Shah, Eden Prairie;  Rick Stafford, Minneapolis; Russ Warren, Mounds View;  Janet Weir, Mankato; and Paul Wright, Hutchinson.  The alternate electors were Gabe Aderhold, Edina; Valerie Holthus, Andover; Liz Kalisch, White Bear Lake;  Fred Knudsen, Owatonna; Colleen Nardone, Grand Rapids; Lil Ortendahl, Osakis; Katherine Speer, Elgin; and Charlie Thomas, Lakeville.

“152 years ago Minnesota’s very first electors cast their ballots for President Abraham Lincoln. Our presidents have led our nation through foreign and civil wars, economic depressions and major natural disasters and they have celebrated our times of peace and prosperity. I thank Ma Lor, who is a senior at South High School in Minneapolis, for leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance and First Sergeant Robyn Major for singing our national anthem.   I am honored to have presided over this historic presidential Electoral College assembly.”

Editor’s Note: 
The establishment of the Electoral College was a compromise by the authors of the U.S. Constitution between electing the President by a vote of Congress or by direct popular vote of the people.  The process of selecting electors changed dramatically when the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed on June 15, 1804.  This amendment expanded voting rights, and required that the popular vote be used to choose each state’s electors .The U.S. Constitution requires that electors in each state meet on this date to select the President and Vice President of the United States.

Meeting of Florida’s 29 Democratic Presidential Electors

Meeting of Florida’s 29 Democratic Presidential Electors

Florida’s 29 Democratic Presidential Electors will convene in Tallahassee, Florida, in the Florida Senate Chambers on December 17, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. to vote for the President and Vice President of the United States of America.

DATE: Monday, December 17, 2012

TIME: 2:00 p.m.

LOCATION: 

Florida Senate Chambers
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Idaho Meeting of Presidential Electors

Idaho Meeting of Presidential Electors

Secretary of State, Ben Ysursa, and Governor, C.L. "Butch" Otter announced today the meeting of the Presidential Electors. The Electors will be meeting at noon Monday, December 17, in the Governor's Ceremonial Office. They will be casting their ballots for Idaho's 4 Electoral Votes for United States President. By federal law, electors representing the political party of the candidate who wins the popular vote for president in each state officially elect the president and vice president      by casting their votes at this historical event.

Idaho's presidential electors are Travis Hawkes, Teresa Luna, Jason Risch, and Damond Watkins.

Louisiana Electoral College To Meet On Monday, December 17, 2012

ELECTORAL COLLEGE TO MEET AT STATE CAPITOL

Secretary of State Tom Schedler announces the meeting of the Louisiana Electoral College on Monday, December 17, 2012 at 11:00 a.m., in the Governor’s Press Room on the 4th floor of the State Capitol. Secretary Schedler will administer oaths of office to the eight electors of the Republican Party prior to their votes for president and vice president of the United States.

The Louisiana electors are: Jimmy C. Allen, at large; Louis S. Gurvich, Jr., at large; Michael R. Bayham, Jr., 1st Congressional District; Garrett C. Monti, 2nd Congressional District; Christian J. Gill, 3rd Congressional District; Harold O. Coates, 4th Congressional District; Legena “Gena” Gore, 5th Congressional District; S. Scott Wilfong, 6th Congressional District.

In the event that one of these electors is not present, an alternate elector will assume his or her duties.
The Electoral College, administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, is a process that began as part of the original design of the United States Constitution. The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College as a compromise between election of the president by Congress and election by popular

Minnesota Electoral College Meets to Cast Ballots for President and Vice President at noon in Capitol Rotunda on Monday, December 17, 2012

Minnesota Electoral College Meets to Cast Ballots for President and Vice President at noon in Capitol Rotunda on Monday, December 17

-Public Welcome to Attend Official Ceremony

WHAT: Minnesota's Presidential Electors will meet to cast public ballots for President and Vice President of the United States.
WHEN:  Monday, December 17 at 12:00 p.m. (noon)

WHERE: State Capitol Rotunda

WHO: In addition to Minnesota's 10 Electors and eight Alternate Electors, ceremony participants include:

• Remarks—Governor Mark Dayton

• Presiding—Secretary of State Mark Ritchie

• Posting of the National and State Colors—Minnesota State Patrol Honor Guard

• Pledge of Allegiance—Ma Lor, Minneapolis, a South High School Senior and City of Minneapolis Elections Judge Trainee who became a United States citizen June 2011

• National Anthem—Sergeant 1st Class Robyn Major, 133 Airlift Wing, Minnesota National Guard

• Invocation—Reverend Peg Chemberlin, Executive Director, Minnesota Council of Churches and immediate Past President, National Council of Churches

WHY: According to the U.S. Constitution, electors in each state meet on this date to select the President and Vice President of the United States. Minnesota's 2012 electors are from the Democratic-Farmer- Labor Party. 

2012 Minnesota Electors:  Lucy Buckner, Burnsville; Jettie Ann Hill, Minneapolis; Dee Long, Minnetonka;  Joe Moren, Hibbing;  Al Patton, Sartell;  Shanti Shah, Eden Prairie;  Rick Stafford, Minneapolis; Russ Warren, Mounds View;  Janet Weir, Mankato; and Paul Wright, Hutchinson.

2012 Minnesota Alternate Electors:  Gabe Aderhold, Edina; Valerie Holthus, Andover; Liz Kalisch, White Bear Lake;  Fred Knudsen, Owatonna; Colleen Nardone, Grand Rapids; Lil Ortendahl, Osakis; Katherine Speer, Elgin; and Charlie Thomas, Lakeville.