#Dec19 Protests Target Electoral College to Block Trump
Protesters are expected at state capitols across the country on Monday where the 538 members of the Electoral College are gathering to ultimately decide who will take up residence at the White House.
The organizers’ website describes this as “the day to defend democracy,” and urges “the Electors of the Electoral College to listen to the voice of the people and refuse to cast their ballots for Donald Trump.”
“We’re supporting these historic protests to urge electors to respect the will of the people,” stated Adam Green, Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) co-founder.
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2.9 million votes—about 2.1 percentage points. But Trump beat her in electoral votes: 306 to 232. With that in mind, the #Dec19 actions are trying to harness the normally “obscure quirk of the U.S. political system” as a last-ditch effort block the real estate mogul from becoming commander-in-chief.
A letter from the PCCC to its members also said the nationwide protests would be useful in “helping to blunt [Trump’s] claim of a ‘mandate’ and harden the spine of Democrats to fight.”
Apart from Clinton’s popular vote win, protestors say the allegations of Russian interference in the election and the lack of full protection of the Voting Rights Act should provide electors with the reason they need to exercise their ability vote for Clinton, even if that means going against “faithless,” or against their state’s own vote.
Added Tania Maduro, Democracy Spring organizer: “All Presidential electors have a Constitutional right to vote their conscience and the responsibility to follow the will of people by voting for the winner of the national popular vote.”
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