Mike Parker: The real vote for President takes place today

Despite all the hoopla and caterwauling that surrounded the Nov. 3 General Election, the real election for U.S. President takes place today when electors gather in their specific states to cast ballots for our nation’s highest office.

On Nov. 3, those who cast ballots for President did not vote directly for the candidate of their choice. Instead, voters cast their ballots for a slate of electors. North Carolina has 13 members of the U.S. House and two U.S. Senators, so this state’s slate of electors stands at 15.

Article II, section 1, clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution originally set forth this process for casting electoral votes:

“The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted.

“The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President. …”

This last sentence caused a fiasco during the election of Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Burr and Jefferson received an equal number of votes, so the House had to elect the President. The irony is although Burr was running as Jefferson’s vice-president, since both received an equal number of votes, the House made the decision. This confusion produced by this procedure led to the ratification of the 12th Amendment on June 5, 1804. The 12th Amendment clarified the process:

“The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President. . . .”

The last change in the rules governing electors took place with the 23rd Amendment, ratified on March 29, 1961. This amendment added a provision to give three electors to the residents of the District of Columbia, bringing the total of electors to 538.

Although each state legislature is free to determine the method it uses to select its electors, all states currently choose electors through a popular vote. This mode of selection is a relatively new innovation. Through the mid-1800s, state legislatures selected electors.

Under North Carolina law, the electors of this state will meet at noon in the Old Capitol Building to cast their electoral ballots. All electoral votes of each state must be forwarded to the President of the Senate no later than Dec. 23, 2020. On Jan. 6, 2021, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House will meet in joint session to make the actual count of the electoral votes from the states and declare the winners for President and Vice President. On Jan. 20, 2021, the President will be sworn into office.

The Nov. 3 General Election was just the beginning of the process that culminates in the actual election of our two highest offices. Today at noon, electors from each state and the District of Columbia will cast their votes. Those votes will be counted on Jan. 6. The results of the Presidential election will finally be completed.

Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com .