2020 electoral college voting **live commentary thread**

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/1338252359852576770

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/AndrewFeinberg/status/1338482805299351552
The slugfest continues...

January 20th isn't in the US constitution.

Check the 20th Amendment.

[GeorgiaModerate]

This is cool:

https://twitter.com/Bencjacobs/status/1338315336244981761

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/TroyKinsey/status/1338503718715723778

This shouldn't affect the count.  There is usually a pool of alternate electors from each state party available to step in for such emergencies.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Current tally:

22 Trump/Pence
  7 Biden/Harris

The chances of Biden winning with a deficit like that are a quadrillion to one!!

The Atlanta Falcons would like a word.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Counting Electoral Votes: An Overview of Procedures at the Joint Session, Including Objections by Members of Congress -- a clear, thorough description of the entire process, from the Congressional Research Service.

[GeorgiaModerate]

What is the actual process on January 6th, when Pence counts the votes in a joint session ?

Assuming a 52-48 GOP Senate and a 222-213 DEM House.

I know there can be objections, but is it actually Pence who decides what is counted and what not, or do the members of Congress also have an influence ?

Can they veto Pence if he picks the alternative Trump electors to be counted instead of the actual electors for Biden ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_Count_Act

The Senate will be 51-48 because Perdue's term will have expired by Jan. 6 so his seat will be vacant. The Georgia runoffs surely will not be certified in time for the electoral vote counting.

Indeed, in one case from 1889, papers sent as a "practical joke" have been presented to the joint session. Whether the Senate president can be required to present or not present any particular paper is an open question, but one commentator argues that concurrent action by both houses would settle the matter while disagreement between the houses would see the Senate president's decision upheld.

So, if Pence presents 2 sets of electors from say PA and the Senate and House disagree which to count and Pence insists on the Trump „certificate“, this will be counted ?

No.

Only those with the signatures of the Governor and SoS on it are accepted and counted ?

Therefore no alternative Trump slates.

That is correct.  I strongly recommend reading the document I posted above if you have any questions about the procedures to be used.

[GeorgiaModerate]

What is the actual process on January 6th, when Pence counts the votes in a joint session ?

Assuming a 52-48 GOP Senate and a 222-213 DEM House.

I know there can be objections, but is it actually Pence who decides what is counted and what not, or do the members of Congress also have an influence ?

Can they veto Pence if he picks the alternative Trump electors to be counted instead of the actual electors for Biden ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_Count_Act

The Senate will be 51-48 because Perdue's term will have expired by Jan. 6 so his seat will be vacant. The Georgia runoffs surely will not be certified in time for the electoral vote counting.

Indeed, in one case from 1889, papers sent as a "practical joke" have been presented to the joint session. Whether the Senate president can be required to present or not present any particular paper is an open question, but one commentator argues that concurrent action by both houses would settle the matter while disagreement between the houses would see the Senate president's decision upheld.

So, if Pence presents 2 sets of electors from say PA and the Senate and House disagree which to count and Pence insists on the Trump „certificate“, this will be counted ?

No.

Only those with the signatures of the Governor and SoS on it are accepted and counted ?

Therefore no alternative Trump slates.

That is correct.  I strongly recommend reading the document I posted above if you have any questions about the procedures to be used.

That document is 19th century bureaucrat-English ... I don’t understand half of what’s in there.

Really?  I think it's very clear, but I suppose it helps that I'm a native English speaker.  Having >40 years experience with government/corporate bureaucratic language probably doesn't hurt either.

[GeorgiaModerate]

What is the actual process on January 6th, when Pence counts the votes in a joint session ?

Assuming a 52-48 GOP Senate and a 222-213 DEM House.

I know there can be objections, but is it actually Pence who decides what is counted and what not, or do the members of Congress also have an influence ?

Can they veto Pence if he picks the alternative Trump electors to be counted instead of the actual electors for Biden ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_Count_Act

The Senate will be 51-48 because Perdue's term will have expired by Jan. 6 so his seat will be vacant. The Georgia runoffs surely will not be certified in time for the electoral vote counting.

Indeed, in one case from 1889, papers sent as a "practical joke" have been presented to the joint session. Whether the Senate president can be required to present or not present any particular paper is an open question, but one commentator argues that concurrent action by both houses would settle the matter while disagreement between the houses would see the Senate president's decision upheld.

So, if Pence presents 2 sets of electors from say PA and the Senate and House disagree which to count and Pence insists on the Trump „certificate“, this will be counted ?

No.

Only those with the signatures of the Governor and SoS on it are accepted and counted ?

Therefore no alternative Trump slates.

That is correct.  I strongly recommend reading the document I posted above if you have any questions about the procedures to be used.

That document is 19th century bureaucrat-English ... I don’t understand half of what’s in there.

Really?  I think it's very clear, but I suppose it helps that I'm a native English speaker.  Having >40 years experience with government/corporate bureaucratic language probably doesn't hurt either.

Plz post the 3-5 most important points out of there in normal English.

OK, here are some of the high points:

The official electoral votes to be counted are the ones transmitted to the National Archives by the governor of each state, and from the Archives to Congress.  So no “rogue” electoral slates would be considered.

The votes are counted by a joint session of Congress in alphabetical order of states (including DC as a “state” here).  As each state is counted, the presiding officer (the President of the Senate, which is the U.S. Vice President) calls for objections.  Any objections must be in writing and signed by at least one representative and one senator. 

If there are such objections, the two houses separate to separately consider the objection.  There is a maximum of two hours of debate for any objection.  Each house separately votes on whether to uphold the objection.  If BOTH houses vote to uphold an objection, the votes in question are not counted.  If either house fails to uphold the election, the votes are counted.

If there are two competing slates of electors from a state, then the slate certified by the state’s governor will be counted.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom/status/1338526518914543616

[GeorgiaModerate]

Georgia, I assume goes to Biden and Harris... am I right? I want to be sure of this before the Alice in Wonderland 'reality' in the Trump mind becomes reality.

https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1338538205889572877

[GeorgiaModerate]

Biden & Harris are running away with this.

There's not a whole lot of suspense as to the eventual outcome.

[GeorgiaModerate]

MAGA world continues to drink the Kool-Aid:

https://twitter.com/DrivelCivil/status/1338572298140336129

[GeorgiaModerate]

MAGA world continues to drink the Kool-Aid:

https://twitter.com/DrivelCivil/status/1338572298140336129

I read the article linked by that user and they are relying on an obscure interpretation of the Electoral Count Act in the event dueling electors are sent to Congress, but the most common interpretation is that the governor's electors take priority anyway in the event that Congress is deadlocked.

I have trouble understanding how the Republican electors in those states are actually "dueling" when they have zero official sanction whatsoever. In 1876 there were state officials taking opposite sides in the "dueling electors".

If unofficial electors are allowed, perhaps we should send our own slate in to elect President Dave Leip.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/AdamBSullivan/status/1338547335236870147

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1338649269482479616

[GeorgiaModerate]

The speech preempted Jeopardy! so I am a bit perturbed.

Ugh, AT&T and the company that owns the channel that Jeopardy runs on in Sacramento are having a feud, so I had to buy a pair of rabbit ears that does a great job at catching all over the air channels except the one with jeopardy.

Same problem in Atlanta.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/WillieGeist/status/1338808759821406210

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/ajkatztv/status/1338873666709368832