STANDARD PROCEDURE. REPORTING IN
THE NEWSROOM CALLAN GRAY NEWS 4.
(( TRUMP OPEN ))
ALSO TONIGHT -- THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE IS PUTTING THE STAMP OF
APPROVAL ON THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION OUTCOME. WHEN THE
COUNT IS OVER -- DONALD TRUMP IS
EXPECTED TO HAVE 306 ELECTORAL
VOTES -- FAR MORE THAN THE 270
HE NEEDS TO BECOME PRESIDENT.
HERE IN NEW YORK STATE -- 29
ELECTORS CAST THEIR BALLOTS FOR
HILLARY CLINTON IN ALBANY THIS
AFTERNOON. ELECTORS INCLUDED
GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO AND
BUFFALO MAYOR BYRON BROWN.
NEWS 4'S JENN SCHANZ HAS BEEN
LOOKING INTO HOW THIS PROCESS
CAME TO BE.. JENN.
A LOT OF VOTERS DON'T REALLY
UNDERSTAND WHY THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE EXISTS OR HOW IT WORKS.
THIS ELECTION CYCLE, SOCIAL
MEDIA HAS HELPED CREATE BUZZ
THAT IT COULD ACTUALLY CHANGE
THE OUTCOME OF THE
ELECTION. I WANT TO START BY
SAYING THAT'S NOT THE CASE. TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS ARE SO
IMPORTANT, I SPOKE WITH THE DEAN
OF UB'S LAW SCHOOL.
TODAY, 306 REPUBLICANS AND 232
DEMOCRATS OFFICIALLY GAVE THE
THUMBS UP FOR THE CANDIDATE WHO
WON THEIR STATE. THOSE 538
POLITICAL NOTABLES MAKE UP THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
(("IT'S THE RESULT OF A
COMPROMISE, AS MANY THINGS IN
THE CONSTITUTION ARE.")) AS
INTERIM DEAN OF UB'S LAW SCHOOL
JAMES GARDNER EXPLAINS, THE
FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION HAD
TO PLEASE 13 COLONIES, WHO OFTEN
WEREN'T IN AGREEMENT.
(("IN ORDER TO CONVINCE THE
SMALL STATES TO JOIN THE BIG
STATES, SOME CONCESSIONS WERE
MADE. ONE IS THE SENATE, WHICH
GIVES
SMALL STATES THE SAME POWER AS
BIG STATES, AND ANOTHER IS THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE IN WHICH SMALL
STATES HAVE A SLIGHT
ADVANTAGE IN INFLUENCE."))
THAT'S BECAUSE EACH STATE GETS
AT LEAST 3 ELECTORAL VOTES... IN
CLOSE RACES, SMALL STATES CAN
END UP BEING EVEN MORE VITAL TO
AN ELECTION. BLUNTLY, THE
FOUNDING FATHERS DIDN'T WANT
AVERAGE AMERICAN VOTERS DECIDING
WHO GETS TO THE RUN THE COUNTRY.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IS THEIR
SAFEGUARD. THAT'S HOW PRESIDENT-
ELECT DONALD TRUMP WAS ABLE TO
WIN THE ELECTION WITHOUT THE
POPULAR VOTE. IT'S THE 5TH TIME
THAT'S HAPPENED IN U.S. HISTORY,
ACCORDING TO PEW RESEARCH.
(("IN THE OLD DAYS, OFTEN STATES
WOULD PRINT ON THE BALLOT THE
NAMES OF THE ELECTORS YOU WERE
VOTING FOR. BUT FOR MANY YEARS
THE ONLY NAMES TO APPEAR ON THE
BALLOT ARE THOSE OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.")) IN
THEORY, AN ELECTOR COULD GO
ROGUE, BUT THAT'S VERY RARE. AND
FRANKLY, GARDER SAYS, ISN'T
GONNA HAPPEN.
(("FOR AN ELECTOR TO TO DEFECT
WOULD REQUIRE THEM REALLY TO SET
ASIDE A WHOLE CENTURY OR MORE OF
CONVENTIONS ABOUT
WHAT THE PROPER ROLE OF ELECTORS
IS."))
THE FEW ELECTORS WHO HAVE
THREATENED TO GO AGAINST THEIR
PARTY AND NOT VOTE FOR DONALD
TRUMP CITED RUSSIAN HACKING'S
IMPACT ON THE ELECTION AS THEIR
