Electoral College Overview Ahead of Pennsylvania’s Electors Meeting
HARRISBURG — As Republican Donald Trump prepares to assume the presidency in January, Pennsylvania’s electoral process gears up for an important milestone: the convening of Trump’s electors. They will cast their votes in a ceremonial session of the Electoral College, leading up to Congress’s official count of the electoral votes before the inauguration on January 20.
In 2020, this standard procedure faced significant turmoil when Pennsylvania Republicans attempted to challenge Joe Biden’s electoral votes amidst unfounded fraud accusations, incited by Trump. However, this year, no such disruptions are anticipated as Trump emerges victorious, securing approximately 3.5 million votes compared to Democrat Kamala Harris’s 3.4 million. Thus, Trump claims all 19 electoral votes from Pennsylvania, contributing to his total of 312 electoral votes nationwide against 226 for Harris.
Pennsylvania’s slate of electors for 2024 includes prominent GOP figures such as William Bachenberg, a millionaire business owner; Bernadette Comfort, vice chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party; and Carla Sands, a former U.S. ambassador. Notably, five electors among this group faced backlash in 2020 for voting for Trump despite Biden winning the state’s popular vote, although they escaped legal scrutiny due to a careful caveat they included in their documentation.
Electors are chosen based on the presidential candidate who wins the most votes, while state law allows electors discretion in their voting. Pennsylvania, unlike many other states, does not legally bind electors to the results of the popular vote. With the state’s governor required to certify election results by December 11, the electors will meet in Harrisburg on December 17 to perform their ceremonial duties.
Source
Photo credit www.spotlightpa.org