Let’s say you’re a mega wealthy billionaire who has suddenly realized that if he cozies up close to a presidential candidate, he could have more power and wealth than ever before. What’s stopping you from figuring out who the electorates are and offering them whatever they want if they vote for your guy? What’s stopping them from taking the deal?
Two reasons:
First, in many states the electors are bound by law to support the candidate that wins the popular vote in their state. The penalties may vary, but the intent is clear: to make sure people realize it is against the law in that state.
But the second reason is that each campaign actually picks their own electors for each state ahead of time. So it’s not like the state has one set that will vote either way, and who can be persuaded. All of the states that votes for Harris are sending electors their campaign hand-picked, and likewise for Trump. So each side is sending their own very partisan people, whose political success is tied to their party. Violating that will ruin their political career in that party.
The popular vote be damned
First, in many states the electors are bound by law to support the candidate that wins the popular vote in their state. The penalties may vary, but the intent is clear: to make sure people realize it is against the law in that state
Honestly this is so stupid if I understand their reasoning for existing in the first place. Unless I’m misunderstanding they were supposed to exist literally for this exact election, where the people elected an absolute atrocity of a person and “our betters” would recognize that and vote against him.
We should just do away with it if we have no interest in utilizing them for their actual purposes.
Sending people to represent how a state voted makes more sense in the context of the 18 century without phones.