Protests are underway at capital buildings across the US as Electoral College members vote to elect Donald Trump as the 45th US president.
Overall, 538 electors are gathering in state capitols nationwide to vote for the president. There is no law that requires electors to vote according to the results in their states. However, 29 states prohibit “faithless” voting.
Electors in several states claimed beforehand that they may change their vote.
More than 50 people protested outside Connecticut State Capitol to voice concerns about the impending Electoral College vote.
The state’s seven electors are expected to cast their vote for Hillary Clinton, winner of the statewide election for president.
Over 100 people turned out at the Texas state capitol, Austin.
And in Florida’s state capitol, Tallahassee.
Meanwhile, electors in states that pledged to vote for Trump are casting their votes accordingly.
In Oklahoma, seven Republican electors are formally selecting Donald Trump as the country’s next president, and Mike Pence as vice-president.
AP reported that they surveyed all seven electors and found no dissenters to voting in the president-elect, but they did acknowledge they “had been contacted numerous times by people encouraging them to change their vote.”
In Arizona, the GOP state party chair, Robert Graham told Fox and Friends that he had received intimidating several emails urging him not to vote for Trump and stating they knew where lived. He added he had been trailed by different people on the highway for two days, and who took pictures of him with their cell phones. He had also seen people outside his house.
Protesters outside the state capital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a state that went won by Trump.
Trump’s opponents stepped up a campaign calling for electors to not vote along party lines and to stage protests outside state capitol buildings where the votes are due to be cast.
Currently, 306 electors are pledged to Donald Trump, and 232 are pledged to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
In an interesting twist, Maine Democratic Electoral College member David Bright said he was going to vote differently.
Protests in Richmond, Virginia.
Outside the Massachusetts statehouse
Electors will be casting votes for president and vice president in their respective state capitols, starting at 9am, though the votes are not officially counted by Congress until January 6.
Some electors in states that voted for Trump have suggested they may take an almost unprecedented stand and vote against the president-elect.
Via RT. This piece was reprinted by RINF Alternative News with permission or license.