ok, i wasn't going to say more

[acroyear]

but this was hilarious.  on the possibility of Kerry winning Ohio anyways in which case he would be well within his rights to retract his upcoming formal concession:

"It'd be perversely charming for John Kerry to flip flop on his concession. :-)" -- dfilove

Comments

[cozit.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... what *would* happen if he were voted in at this point by the electoral college?

And when was the last time that a delegate to the college didn't vote the way they were "supposed" to? (I do know it's happened, but afaik, it's been a *long* time...)

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

he won't be voted in by the EC by any surprises, that's for sure.

if he wins ohio in the final counts (and potential recounts), then he wins and THEN the lawyers will probably come pouncing in.

i think one man in the 1968 election voted for an independent instead of the party-line he was supposed to, but that was probably it. there was talk this year of a west virginia elector possibly going against the vote for one side or another, but at this point its doubtful, nor will it have an impact.

[cozit.livejournal.com]

Naw... I know it's not something that'd be likely... just brain wandering wondering what would happen if something like that *did* happen somewhere down the road...

unfaithful electors

[syntonic-comma.livejournal.com]

from The Tyee (http://www.thetyee.ca/News/current/OnesWhoElectPresident.htm):

... what is known as an "unfaithful elector." Only 14 states have penalties for those who do not vote for a candidate on whose slate they appear. So, a majority of the 538 electors can vote for whomever they please.

Only a handful of electors have exercised such power in the past. In 2000, Barbara Lett Simmons, a Democratic elector from the District of Columbia, withheld her vote to protest her city's lack of representation in Congress. The final tally was Bush 271, Gore 266.

In 1988, a West Virginia elector ... deliberately reversed the Democratic ticket, voting Lloyd Bentsen for president and Michael Dukakis for vice-president.

A Washington State elector voted for Ronald Reagan instead of Gerald Ford in 1976, perhaps anticipating the California actor's future popularity. Four years earlier, Virginia elector Roger McBride cast his ballot for John Hospers, the Libertarian candidate.