The Electoral College on Monday
voted for Donald J. Trump to win the presidency. Seven electors, the
most ever, voted for someone other than their party’s nominee.
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Of 306 electors pledged to vote for Donald J. Trump
304
voted for him
2 voted for someone else
Of 232 electors pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton
227
voted for her
5 voted for someone else
| State | Pledged to | Voted for | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | Clinton | Bernie Sanders | |||
| Texas | Trump | Ron Paul | |||
| Texas | Trump | John Kasich | |||
| Washington | Clinton | Colin L. Powell | |||
| Washington | Clinton | Colin L. Powell | |||
| Washington | Clinton | Colin L. Powell | |||
| Washington | Clinton | Faith Spotted Eagle |
In Washington, a state where Senator Bernie
Sanders of Vermont had strong support in the Democratic primary against
Hillary Clinton, three of the state’s 12 electoral votes went to Colin
L. Powell, the Republican former secretary of state. One more elector
voted for Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American leader. Another Democratic elector in Hawaii voted for Mr. Sanders.
Two Texas electors voted for different Republican politicians: Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and former Texas congressman Ron Paul.
In addition, three Democratic electors, in
Colorado, Maine and Minnesota, initially declined to vote for Mrs.
Clinton. Two were replaced by an alternate, and one ended up changing
his vote.
Protest Votes in the Electoral College
Electors are not required by the Constitution to
vote for a particular candidate. Some states and parties require their
electors to pledge to vote for a candidate and may fine or replace
electors who break their pledge.
It is rare for more than one elector to vote against the party’s pledged candidate, but it has happened on a few occasions.
In 1808, six New York electors from the
Democratic-Republican Party refused to vote for James Madison and
instead voted for the party’s vice-presidential candidate, George
Clinton.
The last time an elector voted for a candidate
from another party was in 1972, when a Republican from Virginia voted
for the Libertarian candidate, John Hospers, instead of the eventual
winner, Richard M. Nixon. A single elector has refused to vote for the
party’s presidential candidate in 11 elections.
