Saturday, December 15, 2012

O, ye Electors of little faith

Monday at noon, in the State Reception Room at the Legislative Building in Olympia, I may have the opportunity to cast ballots for President and Vice President.

I haven’t talked about the Electoral College here, but if you’re interested in the story of how I got to be the Alternate Elector from the 7th Congressional District, you can click over to my DailyKos diary On November 6, Washingtonians might be voting for *me*, written on May 23.

I’m all but certain the WA-07 Elector will be in attendance, so I probably won’t be one of the 538 Americans who actually elect the President. But I’ll definitely be in Olympia to meet Secretary of State Sam Reed and Governor Chris Gregoire, and to participate as much as I can.

But that’s not my subject in this diary (though I’ll have more to say—and, if I can somehow take viewable photos with my digital camera, show—after the Electoral College meets). For now I want to talk about an interesting(?) letter I received the other day.

It arrived in a light purple envelope, postmarked from Harrisburg PA. From the color and size of the envelope, I assumed it was a Christmas card. I don’t know anyone from Harrisburg, but several of my friends are Pennsylvanians, so I didn’t find it particularly odd.

Even as I opened the envelope, I didn’t think it was anything unusual. I could see a folded piece of bond paper with typing on it, which appeared to be (I thought) a standard-issue Christmas letter. That thought evaporated immediately upon reading the first line:

ATTN:  Electoral College Representative

I do have to say that the tone of the two-page letter was respectful, even while listing several of the right wing’s favorite conspiracy theories about the “stolen” election. As well as a couple I hadn’t heard before.

[Quoting the letter:]

• A case where Republican ballots were thrown into a river where not all could be recovered with an unknown loss of votes (estimated hundreds+)
• Undefined loss of military votes because of miscommunication of deadlines and counting of ballots (military servicemen/women surveyed said they would vote Romney at least 2-1), the very citizens fighting to protect us and our freedom to vote

While the letter had been mailed in central Pennsylvania, the writer’s phone number had a 714 area code (Orange County CA). She also provided an email address (@rocketmail.com).

The “ask” didn’t come until halfway through the second page. The writer implored me to be what she called a “faithless vote” (in other words, be a faithless Elector), and cast my Electoral College vote for Romney. Interestingly, there was no such request in the Vice Presidential race. Romney-Biden, anyone?

Now, of course, if I do have the opportunity to cast a vote as an Elector, I won’t take the advice of my correspondent. And it won’t be because the state of Washington would fine me up to $1000 for doing so.