It’s official: Florida’s 29 electors have cast their votes in support of President-elect Donald Trump.
There were no surprises in the election process Monday afternoon, when electors gathered in Tallahassee to cast their ballots for the country’s next president and vice president. Florida’s role in the electoral college is especially critical since the state carries 29 electoral votes.
The list of electors included a handful of state legislators, political consultants, lobbyists and local party committeemen and women. Trump faithfuls like Brian Ballard, Susie Wiles, Joe Gruters and Pam Bondi rounded out the elector contingency.
Florida is one of the 29 states which legally requires its electors to vote for the candidate who won their state on Election Day. Trump carried Florida by a margin of a little over one percent of the vote, turning the majority of Florida’s counties red last month.
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner opened the voting ceremony Monday afternoon, thanking electors for the important role they were playing in the national election process.
Across the country, other state electors were going through the same process to cast their ballots as well.
The state’s electors unanimously voted for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, closing the chapter of a contentious time in electors’ lives. Many electors, specifically those voting for Trump, have been receiving thousands of emails pressuring them to change their votes to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton instead.
Some of the emails and letters electors received bordered on offensive and hateful, threatening rape against their children.
“I want to thank each and every one of you sitting in this room for everything you’ve done over the past 24 months,” Republican Party of Florida chair and state Rep. Blaise Ingoglia told electors Monday afternoon. “I know it was a long, hard haul and I know over the last couple of months you have been inundated with sometimes harassing messages asking you to switch your votes.”
Protesters began gathering at the Capitol Monday morning, urging electors to change their minds, waving signs and chanting as the electors took their seats in the Senate chamber.
Florida’s electors clearly didn’t budge to the criticisms, though, moving full-speed ahead with their votes for Trump.
With the voting process complete, the electors’ ballots now head to the chief federal judge of the Northern District of Florida, Ken Detzner, the Archivist of the United States and then to the President of the U.S. Senate. The official tally of all Electoral College votes will happen during a joint congressional session in January.
Trump is scheduled to be sworn in as President Jan. 20.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
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