The electoral college consists of electors from each state. Some states allow electors to vote for whoever they want, while other states levy penalties against electors who vote differently than the public (called "faithless electors").[1]
No Legal Requirement[]
Electors in these States are not bound by State Law to cast their vote for a specific candidate:
ARIZONA - 10 Electoral Votes
ARKANSAS - 6 Electoral Votes
DELAWARE - 3 Electoral Votes
GEORGIA - 15 Electoral Votes
IDAHO - 4 Electoral Votes
ILLINOIS - 21 Electoral Votes
INDIANA - 11 Electoral Votes
IOWA - 7 Electoral Votes
KANSAS - 6 Electoral Votes
KENTUCKY - 8 Electoral Votes
LOUISIANA - 9 Electoral Votes
MINNESOTA - 10 Electoral Votes
MISSOURI - 11 Electoral Votes
NEW HAMPSHIRE - 4 Electoral Votes
NEW JERSEY - 15 Electoral Votes
NEW YORK - 31 Electoral Votes
NORTH DAKOTA - 3 Electoral Votes
PENNSYLVANIA - 21 Electoral Votes
RHODE ISLAND - 4 Electoral Votes
SOUTH DAKOTA - 3 Electoral Votes
TENNESSEE - 11 Electoral Votes
TEXAS - 34 Electoral Votes
UTAH - 5 Electoral Votes
WEST VIRGINIA - 5 Electoral Votes
Legal Requirements or Pledges[]
Electors in these States are bound by State Law or by pledges to cast their vote for a specific candidate:
- ALABAMA - 9 Electoral Votes
Party Pledge / State Law - § 17-19-2
- ALASKA - 3 Electoral Votes
Party Pledge / State Law - § 15.30.040; 15.30.070
- CALIFORNIA - 55 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 6906
- COLORADO - 9 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 1-4-304
- CONNECTICUT - 7 Electoral Votes
State Law § 9-175
- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - 3 Electoral Votes
DC Pledge / DC Law - § 1-1312(g)
- FLORIDA - 27 Electoral Votes
Party Pledge / State Law - § 103.021(1)
- HAWAII - 4 Electoral Votes
State Law - §§ 14-26 to 14-28
- MAINE - 4 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 805
- MARYLAND - 10 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 20-4
- MASSACHUSETTS - 12 Electoral Votes
Party Pledge / State Law - Ch. 53, § 8, Supp.
- MICHIGAN - 17 Electoral Votes
State Law - §168.47 (Violation cancels vote and elector is replaced).
- MISSISSIPPI - 6 Electoral Votes
Party Pledge / State Law - §23-15-785(3)
- MONTANA - 3 Electoral Votes
State Law - §13-25-104
- NEBRASKA - 5 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 32-714
- NEVADA - 5 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 298.050
- NEW MEXICO - 5 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 1-15-5 to 1-15-9 (Violation is a fourth degree felony.)
- NORTH CAROLINA - 15 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 163-212 (Violation cancels vote; elector is replaced and is subject to $500 fine.)
- OHIO - 20 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 3505.40
- OKLAHOMA - 7 Electoral Votes
State Pledge / State Law - 26, §§ 10-102; 10-109 (Violation of oath is a misdemeanor, carrying a fine of up to $1000.)
- OREGON - 7 Electoral Votes
State Pledge / State Law - § 248.355
- SOUTH CAROLINA - 8 Electoral Votes
State Pledge / State Law - § 7-19-80 (Replacement and criminal sanctions for violation.)
- VERMONT - 3 Electoral Votes
State Law - title 17, § 2732
- VIRGINIA - 13 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 24.1-162 (Virginia statute may be advisory - "Shall be expected" to vote for nominees.)
- WASHINGTON - 11 Electoral Votes
Party Pledge / State Law - §§ 29.71.020, 29.71.040, Supp. ($1000 fine.)
- WISCONSIN - 10 Electoral Votes
State Law - § 7.75
- WYOMING - 3 Electoral Votes
State Law - §§ 22-19-106; 22-19-108
Links[]
- US Presidential electors 2008
- THE "FAITHLESS NINE": Presidential Electors who have defected in the past, Richard E. Berg-Andersson, (c) 2000, last updated October 28, 2008.
- How the Electoral College Works, Kevin Bonsor, HowStuffWorks.
- ↑ List of Electors Bound by State Law and Pledges, as of November 2000, US government archives