Florida’s 29 electoral votes have been cast for Donald J. Trump. For the first time in recent memory, protestors tried to convince some Electors to change their vote, but in the end, Florida Electors chose the man they had pledged to support.
Hundreds of letters arrived at Elector Brian Ballard’s office over the weekend. More last week. Most if not all ask him to vote for Hillary Clinton or anyone but Donald trump. Their efforts were wasted. Ballard is as staunch a Trump supporter as they come.
“He had the will of the people of Florida, He won Florida. I voted for him, I supported him, I raised money for him. I represent him” said Ballard before the vote.
Among the mail, copies of the Federalist papers in which Alexander Hamilton says the electoral college is a good thing for America.
It was Alexander Hamilton’s essay on the electoral college the inspired protestors Like Pam Bergsma of Lake Worth to try and change the electors minds.
“This is about giving our electoral voters an opportunity to vote their conscious and maybe save our freedoms” she told us.
The crowd of protestors grew to three or four hundred by the time the Presidential electors convened.
18 minutes later is was over.
“Let the record reflect that Donald J. Trump received 29 electoral votes for President of the United States’ announced Detzner.
As electors applauded and cheered, protestors outside erupted with boos.
Mark Stowe from Gainesville knew it was a lost cause, but said he had no choice but to come. “These people at some point are going to regret what they did today” he said as he headed back to Gainesville.
But In the end, Electors selected the man voters preferred by more than a hundred thousand votes.
The results of today’s vote in the Tallahassee and State Capitols across the country will be accepted by a joint session of Congress on January 6th.