Texas Presidential Electors Cast their Ballots
AUSTIN - The Texas presidential electors met today, December 18th, 2000, in the Senate Chamber at the State Capitol. The 32 members signed the Oath of Office and cast their ballots separately for President and Vice-President of the United States. As expected, George W. Bush was elected as President, and Dick Cheney as Vice-President.
The Electoral College is the constitutional body which actually elects the President and Vice-President of the United States. Each party within a state selects a slate of electors equal in number to the state's congressional delegation in Congress - senators plus representatives. When the American people cast their vote for President and Vice- President, they are actually voting for the slate of electors which belongs to the party of their choice. Electors in Texas are not bound by state law to cast their vote for a specific candidate, but they usually remain faithful to their party. The candidates who receive the most votes in Texas wins all of the state's electoral votes, since the electoral vote of this state is cast as a unit. The candidates receiving a majority of the total electoral vote in the United States (at least 270) are declared President and Vice- President. Numerous plans have been proposed for eliminating or altering the electoral college, including direct election of the President and Vice-President by popular vote.
The Honorable Elton Bomer, Secretary of State, called the meeting to order. The Honorable Alberto R. Gonzales, Justice of the Texas Supreme Court gave the invocation, and the Honorable Jeffrey H. Eubank, Assistant Secretary of State, closed the meeting with the benediction.
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