The Electoral College will meet in just ten days to cast their votes, per the popular vote in their states, for the next president of the United States.  Joe Biden has, as I’m sure you know by now, won 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232 … so there should be no question, right?  But, you need to know that there are a few shenanigans by people who are attempting to override the will of the people and keep Donald Trump firmly planted in the Oval Office.  Do I think this will work?  No … but I do think we need to be aware, and once again contact our elected officials to make sure they understand that we will not put up with having our voices erased.

Although the Electoral College will meet on December 14^th and presumably the electors will vote in good faith, representing the will of the people, there is still one final step in the process.  Congress must certify the Electoral College vote.  Trump has, thus far, lost all but one of his lawsuits, and that one resulted in a negligible difference, especially as compared to the 40 he has lost.  So, his last best hope is for Congress to challenge the results of the Electoral College.  Typically, this wouldn’t be a concern, but this year is like no other in our history.

An obscure 1887 law called the Electoral Count Act, and several subsequent updates, spell out the process, setting January 6^th after a presidential election as the official certification date and outlining vague, unnecessarily complex procedures. On that day, the House and Senate meet in a joint session at 1 p.m. — just three days after the newly constituted Congress is sworn in. One of their first orders of business is to pass judgment on the Electoral College vote.

If a single House member and a single senator join forces, they can object to entire slates of presidential electors. They must do so in writing and provide an explanation.  If they do, the House and Senate must retreat to their chambers and debate the outcome for up to two hours before voting on the matter. Each state’s electors are certified separately, meaning lawmakers bent on challenging the results have multiple chances to force lengthy delays.  If the Democrat-run House and GOP-controlled Senate disagree? That outcome has never been tested before, so we are in uncharted waters here.

Why do I bring this up now?  Because at least a few republican members of Congress are trying to rally support for such a challenge.  Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama has been telling colleagues and allies that he plans to challenge the Electoral College votes when Congress officially certifies Joe Biden’s victory on January 6^th, as long as a Senate Republican joins him in the long-shot effort.

“In my judgment, if only lawful votes by eligible American citizens were cast, Donald Trump won the Electoral College by a significant margin, and Congress’s certification should reflect that. This election was stolen by the socialists engaging in extraordinary voter fraud and election theft measures.”

Methinks Mr. Brooks has been drinking a bit too much of the Trumpade.  But, he is not alone … the ignoble Matt Gaetz, representative from Florida, unconscionable Warren Davidson from Ohio, and newly-elected Marjorie Taylor Greene, the QAnon follower/promoter, have all said they would seriously consider challenging the certification of the Electoral College.  So, all that’s left is a republican senator to jump on board … is it so hard to believe that Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, or Lindsey Graham might decide to play along?  They certainly haven’t shown any integrity thus far …

Even so, I think the odds of such a challenge succeeding are slim-to-none, however it is in our best interest to keep an eye open, for there are those who would deny the voice of the people, would instead opt for a government that does not consider the will or best interests of the people.  These are uncharted waters … this entire election and post-election period has been unprecedented in the history of this country. We can be forgiven for not having much trust in the system operating as it was originally intended … as it has for the past 233 years.  Corruption seems to be the name of the republican game and … the only thing I trust them to do is lie, cheat, and steal.

I don’t think the framers of the Constitution nor the people who fought for our freedom ever intended it to be like this.  It’s a sad statement that we cannot trust the people we elected and whose salary we work hard to pay.  Most people work hard all their lives and pay their taxes without question, so that we can support the lifestyles of these people in Congress, most all of whom are independently wealthy beyond our wildest imagination, and half of whom would throw us under the wheels of a bus if it suited their interest.  A damn shame.