Trump Opponents Try to Beat Him at the Electoral College
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Grassroots campaigns have sprung up around the country to try to persuade members of the Electoral College to deny President-elect Donald Trump the 270 votes needed to assume the presidency.
It's a longshot effort. The Electoral College has never before denied the presidency to the clear Election Day winner. Yet activists are circulating online petitions and using social media in hopes of influencing Republican electors to cast their ballots for someone other than Trump. Trump has won 290 electoral votes to 232 for Democrat Hillary Clinton, with Michigan undecided.
But Clinton is on pace to win the popular vote by at least 1 million ballots. Trump's opponents are motivated by the outcome of the popular vote and by their contention that the businessman and reality TV star is unfit to serve as commander in chief.