December 3, 2016 | Daniel Brezenoff
Details at http://electoralcollegepetition.com/
Electoral College Petition - The Electors of the Electoral College vote for the President on December 19, 2016. They have a Constitutional duty to protect the United States and the Constitution from danger.
The Electoral College petition is the largest petition in Change.org history. More than 4.7 million people have signed on to ask the Electors to vote their conscience, and vote against Donald Trump.
fyi, also check out:
Following the Letter to Electors - quotes and links to recent articles:
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An Open Letter to the Electors
Esteemed Electors:
We, a bipartisan coalition of Americans including Electors, scholars, officials, and concerned citizens write to you in the spirit of fellowship, out of our sense of patriotism, and with great urgency.4
There are times in the life of a nation when extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures. Now is a such time, and your courage and leadership are required.29
Never in our Republic’s history has there been a President-apparent comparable to Donald Trump. His inauguration would present a grave and continual threat to the Constitution, to domestic tranquility, and to international stability:17
• He has threatened the freedom of speech by condoning violence at public events, and suggesting criminal penalties and even revocation of citizenship to punish political expression;
• He has threatened the freedom of press by vowing to revoke First Amendment protections for journalists;
• He has threatened the freedom of religion by proposing to bar entry to the country and force the registration of members of certain faiths;
• He has entangled himself with foreign interests through his personal business dealings, and refused to provide records of his taxes, which could allay suspicions;
• He has indicated a willingness to condone torture, in contravention of the Constitution and our international treaties, which carry the force of law;
• He is uncomfortably close to the regime of Russia, which has interfered in the election;
• He has shown reckless disregard for diplomacy, communicating impulsively, in public forums, regarding matters of national security, and allowing personal emotions to interfere with reasoned judgment, calling into question his fitness as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the nuclear capabilities of the United States;
• He has, unlike every previous Commander-in-Chief, never served in any public position, whether elected or appointed, civilian or military, thereby bringing no experience or proven judgment on behalf of The People, or evidence of a character suited to high office.
For these reasons, his assumption of office endangers the Constitution, the freedoms it protects, and the continued prosperity and welfare of the United States.
You, Electors, possess the power to prevent this outcome. You are not bound to cast your vote for the candidate of your party – and, as he won neither a majority nor even a plurality of the popular vote, there can be no question of undermining the will of The People.
The Constitution empowers Electors to exercise judgment and choice.
If your role were only ceremonial, our Founders would not have required the states to elect you, or that you cast ballots by your own hand. State laws notwithstanding, you are free to vote your conscience. You have a mandate, like all officials, to protect and defend the Constitution.14 And you have the right and responsibility to investigate those who stand for this office, and to deliberate before casting your vote.
We place country before party in imploring you, our fellow Americans, to investigate and deliberate. We stand with you as you exercise your conscience and give profound consideration to the consequences of your vote. We affirm your right and your duty to do so free from intimidation, and urge you to cast your ballot for a person with the temperament, integrity and commitment to Constitutional principles necessary in a President.
In doing so, know that you enjoy the support of millions of Americans.
Thank you for your service to our country.
This letter was funded by Daniel Brezenoff, a social worker and grassroots Democratic activist
This letter was published in the Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Austin American-Statesman, Salt Lake City Tribune3 and Tampa Bay Times on December 14, 2016.
It will be published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Wisconsin State Journal on December 15, 2016.
Letter to Electors is a project of Democracy and Progress PAC and the Electoral College Petition.
Titles and institutional affiliations for individuals signing this letter are provided for identification purposes only. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and signatories, and do not represent the views of any organization named, or any other with which the author or signatories are affiliated.
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Signed,
Daniel Brezenoff3
Author, Democracy and Progress
Author, Democracy and Progress
Bret Chiafalo
Washington State Elector
Washington State Elector
Michael Baca
Colorado Elector
Colorado Elector
Beth Caldwell
Washington State Elector
Former Attorney, Office for Civil Rights, US Department of Education, Co-Founder, Metastatic Exchange to Unleash Power
Leora Auslander, Ph.D.
Professor of Modern European Social History and
Arthur and Joann Rasmussen Professor of Western Civilization
College and the Department of History, The University of Chicago
Sahar F. Aziz, M.A., J.D.
Professor of Law, Texas A&M University School of Law
Professor of Law, Texas A&M University School of Law
Former Senior Policy Advisor, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Randall Balmer, M.Div, Ph.D
John Phillips Professor in Religion, Dartmouth College
John Phillips Professor in Religion, Dartmouth College
Sotirios A. Barber, Ph.D
Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame
Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame
Deborah Barnbaum, Ph.D
Professor and Chair of Philosophy, Kent State University
Professor and Chair of Philosophy, Kent State University
Khaled A. Beydoun, M.A., J.D.
Associate Professor of Law, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Affiliated Faculty, Islamophobia Research & Documentation Project Center on Race & Gender, University of California, Berkeley
Associate Professor of Law, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Affiliated Faculty, Islamophobia Research & Documentation Project Center on Race & Gender, University of California, Berkeley
Mark Philip Bradley, Ph.D
Bernadotte E. Schmitt Professor of History, The University of Chicago
Mark B. Brown, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Government, California State University, Sacramento
Professor, Department of Government, California State University, Sacramento
Matthew J. Brown, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology
Director, Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology
Associate Professor of Philosophy and History of Ideas
The University of Texas at Dallas
Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann
Columbia Theological Seminary
Arthur Caplan, Ph.D
Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor
Founding head, Division of Bioethics New York University Langone Medical Center
The Honorable David N. Dinkins, LL.B
106th Mayor of New York City Professor in the Practice of Urban Public Policy School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
106th Mayor of New York City Professor in the Practice of Urban Public Policy School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Mary L. Dudziak, J.D., Ph.D
Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law
Laura K. Field, Ph.D
Professorial Lecturer, School of International Service
Associate Faculty, School of Public Affairs Political Theory Institute American University
Jamal Greene, J.D.
Dwight Professor of Law, Columbia Law School
Janet Halley, J.D., Ph.D
Royall Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
Daniel J. Hicks, Ph.D
Policy Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Policy Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Steve Hiltz, Ph.D
Lecturer in Philosophy, Southern Methodist University
Jean Kazez, Ph.D
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Southern Methodist University
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Southern Methodist University
Craig J. Konnoth, J.D., M.Phil
Sharswood Fellow & Lecturer in Law, Penn Law School Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania
Sharswood Fellow & Lecturer in Law, Penn Law School Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania
Daniel J. Levine, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Political Science, The University of Alabama
Assistant Professor of Political Science, The University of Alabama
Sanford V. Levinson, J.D., Ph.D
St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law, Professor of Government, The University of Texas at Austin
St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law, Professor of Government, The University of Texas at Austin
Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Ph.D
Lecturer on History and Literature and on Public Policy Program Director, Carr Center for Human Rights, Harvard University
Lecturer on History and Literature and on Public Policy Program Director, Carr Center for Human Rights, Harvard University
John P. McCormick, Ph.D
Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
Rachel Ann McKinney, Ph.D
Fellow in Residence
Fellow in Residence
Edmond J. Safra
Center for Ethics, Harvard University
Roberta L. Millstein, Ph.D
Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Davis
Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Davis
Jonathan Moreno, Ph.D
David and Lyn Silfen University Professor, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Department of History and Sociology of Science, University of Pennsylvania
David Neff
Retired Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today
Anne Norton, Ph.D
Professor of Political Science Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
Professor of Political Science Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
Jay Odenbaugh, Ph.D
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Lewis & Clark College
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Lewis & Clark College
Michael J. Perry, J.D.
Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Mark Pinsley
Founder, Unite for America, Pennsylvania
Michael A. Rebell, LL.B.
Executive Director, Campaign for Educational Equity
Executive Director, Campaign for Educational Equity
Professor of Law and Educational Practice
Teachers College, Columbia University
Adjunct Professor, Columbia Law School
Asifa Quraishi-Landes
Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin Law School
Gerald N. Rosenberg, J.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
Lecturer, Law School, University of Chicago
Louis Michael Seidman, J.D.
Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Constitutional Law, Georgetown University Law Center
Carolyn Shapiro, J.D.
Associate Professor of Law, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law
Dan Slater, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
Carl Sachs, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Marymount University
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Marymount University
David Selby, Ph.D
Adjunct Professor of Political Science Sacramento State University and Berkeley City College
Adjunct Professor of Political Science Sacramento State University and Berkeley City College
SpearIt, Ph.D., J.D
Associate Professor Thurgood Marshall School of Law Texas Southern University
Jeremi Suri, Ph.D
Professor of History and Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Richard P. Taub, Ph.D
Paul Klapper Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Chicago
Paul Klapper Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Chicago
Jeffrey K. Tulis, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Government, Extended Faculty, School of Law, The University of Texas at Austin
Associate Professor of Government, Extended Faculty, School of Law, The University of Texas at Austin
Jessica Dixon Weaver, J.D.
Associate Professor of Law, Southern Methodist University
Dedman School of Law
Damien Patrick Williams, M.A.
Instructor of Philosophy, Department of History and Philosophy
Kennesaw State University
Paul Woodruff, Ph.D
Darrell K. Roya Professor of Ethics and American Society
Darrell K. Roya Professor of Ethics and American Society
Department of Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin
Professor Paul J. Zwier
Dr. Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution
Dr. Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution
Emory University School of Law
Sé Reed
Activist, Strategist, Electoral College Petition
Kathryn Adams
Activist, Fundraiser, Electoral College Petition
Activist, Fundraiser, Electoral College Petition
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Please contact us to inquire about adding your name as a signatory.
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About the Electoral College, US archives.gov
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Challenging the Electoral College Vote Isn’t Futile, Though Trump Will Still Win
On Monday, December 19, America has one last chance to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president — or so the most hopeful Trump opponents claim. Technically, they’re right. The Founding Fathers adopted the Electoral College to ensure that the presidency would not go to an unqualified candidate who won over the masses with his “talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity,” as Alexander Hamilton put it.
Many say the election of a reality-TV star with extensive foreign ties is exactly the kind of scenario the Electoral College was created for — especially because Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes.
But the political reality is that Trump will be sworn in on January 20. If he fails to receive the 270 majority required to secure the presidency, the election will be decided by the House of Representatives, where Republicans have a solid majority.
Even if “faithless electors” give another candidate more than 270 votes, an obscure rule will allow Congress to challenge the outcome of the Electoral College vote. Republicans in Congress may have reservations about Trump, but they’re not about to humiliate their party, risk their chance to implement a conservative agenda, and potentially plunge the country into chaos by overturning the election results. …
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My Turn: A big test for the Electoral College
By DANIEL WEEKS
For the Concord Monitor
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
On Dec. 19, a group of citizens totaling 0.00017 percent of the American population will officially choose the next president of the United States. If the 538 members of the Electoral College are faithful to tradition, they will elect Donald Trump. If they are faithful to the framers of the Constitution, they will not.
Tradition says that pledged electors vote en masse for the presidential candidate who wins a plurality of votes in their state. By that logic, Trump, who won the toss-up states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania by 1 percent to secure an Electoral College majority, will be our president.
It does not matter that Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump nationwide by 2.7 million votes, or 2 percent, a wider margin than roughly half a dozen elected presidents. It does not matter that Trump received a minority of ballots cast – 46 percent – and just one in four American citizens voted in his favor. It does not matter that he would be the first person to assume the office of president without any public service experience. All that matters, according to tradition, is that electors are automatically delivered to the winner of their state.
Our Founding Fathers did not agree with this tradition.
Reviewing the recorded statements of the framers of the Constitution, two factors emerge as central in the selection of president: majority rule and fitness for office. …
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Trump seeks to intervene in Electoral College suit
By KYLE CHENEY, 12/13/16
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Lessig: 20 Trump electors could flip
if this is a 'universal' story then the story-tag will be 'story' By KYLE CHENEY 12/13/16
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Electors demand intelligence briefing before Electoral College vote
The request represents the latest effort by Democratic electors to look to the Electoral College as a possible bulwark against a Trump presidency.
By KYLE CHENEY and GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI, 12/12/16
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