Politics

Georgia’s 16 electors officially cast ballots for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris

By WSBTV.com News Staff
By WSBTV.com News Staff

The Electoral College took another step Monday toward making the 2020 election results official. All 538 electors met in their respective state capitols to cast their votes.

The results from the Nov. 3 general election had Joe Biden receiving 306 electoral votes while Donald Trump received 232. The votes cast Monday will be formally counted during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Election 2020]

Channel 2′s Richard Elliot is at the Georgia State Capitol, where Georgia’s 16 electors submitted their vote officially Monday afternoon for President-elect Joe Biden. Stacey Abrams presided over the vote.

Elliot learned Georgia Republicans also met at the Capitol Monday to select their own slate of Donald Trump electors to send to Washington because the Trump campaign still has an active lawsuit in Georgia.

“Because the president’s lawsuit contesting the Georgia election has not been decided or even heard, we held this meeting to preserve his rights. Had we not held this meeting, his lawsuit would’ve effectively been mooted,” GOP chair David Shafer said.

Democratic party chair Nikema Williams says it doesn’t matter what the Republicans did because officially Joe Biden won Georgia.

“We have the ascertainment that’s been signed by the governor of this state and those are the votes that will be transmitted to reflect Georgia’s will,” Williams said.

[RELATED: Kemp says special session to select new electors “not an option” under state, federal law]

Georgia’s Democratic Electors are Congresswoman-Elect Nikema Williams, Stacey Abrams, State Rep. Bob Trammell, State Sen. Steve Henson, State Sen. Gloria Butler, State Rep. Calvin Smyre, State Rep. Pedro Marin, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, Rome City Commissioner Wendy Davis, District Attorney-elect Deborah Gonzalez, civil rights activist Bobby Fuse, Sachin Varghese, Houston County Democratic Party Chair Fenika Miller, Georgia Young Democrats President Rachel Paule, former Atlanta City Councilwoman Cathy Woolard, and Ben Myers.

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This is the first time since President Bill Clinton in 1992 that the state electors will vote Democrat.

Channel 2 Action News spoke with Woolard ahead of the vote Monday.

“It’s really exciting. I’ve never been an elector before, I’ve been working in politics my whole career,” Woolard told Channel 2 Action News. “When I said I’d be an elector, I didn’t know if I’d get to cast that vote or not. So it’s doubly exciting to actually cast that vote.”

Woolard told Channel 2 that she is honored to be an elector, but knows the ceremony will be different than it has in years past.

COVID-19 guidelines mean elector are not allowed to bring guests and social distancing will be followed.

“I think it’s going to be a little more subdued than it normally would have been,” Woolard said. “There’s not really going to be a lot of pomp and circumstance.”

How the Electoral College works (NCD)

GEORGIA VOTER GUIDE:

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