- Election Day « Electoral
College
Machinations « South Carolina Democratic Party
email
from: Jaime Harrison, SCDP
date: Wed, Dec 14, 2016 at 6:13 PM
subject: SIGN THE PETITION: SC Electors Must Uphold Their Constitutional Duty
Joe,
In
Federalist No. 68, Alexander Hamilton wrote that the members of the
Electoral College must be those "most capable of analyzing the
qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances
favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the
reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice."
I have no reason to doubt that this description applies to the
electors that South Carolina selected on November 8: Glenn
McCall of York County, Matt Moore of Lexington County, Terry Hardesty
of Berkeley County, Jim Ulmer of Orangeburg County, Brenda Bedenbaugh
of Saluda County, Bill Conley of Spartanburg County, Shery Smith of
Sumter County, Moye Graham of Clarendon County, and Jerry Rovner of
Georgetown County.
Hamilton
was particularly worried about "the desire in foreign powers to gain an
improper ascendant in our councils" by "raising a creature of their own
to the chief magistracy of the Union." Explaining the specific
methods of by which this might be accomplished—methods that the
Electoral College was designed to prevent—Hamilton worried that other
groups of voters might be "tampered with beforehand."
Regrettably, the CIA has reportedly concluded that
Russia engaged
in espionage with the intent of tampering with voters so that they
would favor Donald Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir
Putin.
It
is therefore clear that for our electors to analyze, deliberate, and
choose judiciously, they must be fully informed of all intelligence
pertaining to Russian interference in our election.
I
ask that you join me in signing this petition calling on
South Carolina's nine electors to withhold their votes in the
Electoral College until they are provided with all relevant
intelligence. Failure to do so would be inconsistent with
the Constitution.
Regardless
of how the Electoral College votes on December 19, we are in the
midst of a critical fight for the soul of our democracy. I hope
you will stand strong with us in this struggle. Together, we will
prevail.
Sincerely,
Jaime Harrison
Chair, South Carolina Democratic Party