[FRIAM] political question

[Prof David West]

I came across a short article recently about slates of electors. It seemed to say that Congress must certify/accept the results of the electoral college vote and, in some fashion could overturn that vote by accepting a different slate of electors. To that end, seven states have sent Congress two slates of electors, one Democratic and voting for Biden, the other republican and voting for Trump. Congress, it is asserted, has the power to disqualify one set of electors and replace them with the other, thereby giving Trump the electoral college victory despite what happened a few days ago.

Further, there is supposedly a precedent. Hawaii was won by Nixon and a set of electors sent to the college to vote accordingly. Democrats in state government set an alternative set of electors to Congress with commitment to vote Kennedy and this second set prevailed in Congress and so Kennedy got Hawaii's electoral college votes.


The limited time I have available to pursue confirmation of this story has expired with no results. I toss it into the font of erudition that is FRIAM, hoping someone there can quickly and definitively parse the story.

davew