This is What’s Trending Today.
The members of the Electoral College will cast their votes to uphold November’s presidential election on December 19. They are known as electors.
Their part in presidential elections is described in the U.S. Constitution and in the 12th Amendment to the Constitution.
Members of New York’s Electoral College meet in the New York state Senate Chamber to elect President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden, in Albany, N.Y., December 17, 2012.
Many people on Twitter are using the hashtag #EsteemedElectors in a last attempt to ask electors to vote for someone other than Donald Trump.
Actor Josh Gad wrote: “Have courage. Protect our democracy. This is your right and your duty.”
Other actors, including Martin Sheen, who played the president on television, speak directly to Republican members of the Electoral College in a video. They say Donald Trump is not qualified to be president. They suggested that the electors choose a person who is qualified, and added that it does not have to be Hillary Clinton.
Many Trump supporters are saying the Electoral College members should follow the wishes of the people in their state. One person asked: “How do we know #EsteemedElectors isn’t a Russian operation to influence our election?”
The recent news that Russian hackers may have influenced the U.S. presidential election has raised concerns among many people. Some are saying the electors need more information before casting their votes.
One of those people is Virginia congressman Don Beyer.
He said the Electoral College should delay its vote until its members can receive information from the Central Intelligence Agency about Russia’s effect on the election.
Some electors sent an open letter to the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper asking for more details.
They want to know if Russian interference is being investigated and whether the hackers were connected with the Trump campaign.
In most election years, the Electoral College votes are a routine part of the process. The people who vote usually follow the popular vote in their state.
This year, one elector has already said he will not follow his state’s vote. That is Christopher Suprun of Texas. He wrote an opinion article in the New York Times recently explaining that he would not vote for Trump.
Suprun’s lone vote against Trump will not make a difference in the results. If the remaining electors follow the wishes of their state, Trump will receive more than the required 270 votes.
And that’s What’s Trending Today.
I’m Dan Friedell.
Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.
What do you think of the last minute request of the electors? Let us know in the comments section.
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Words in This Story
uphold – v. to judge (a legal decision) to be correct : to decide not to change (a verdict)
esteem – n. respect and affection
courage – n. the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous
hacker – n. a person who secretly gets access to a computer system in order to get information, cause damage, etc. : a person who hacks into a computer system
routine – adj. done or happening as a normal part of a job, situation, or process