Ga., S.C. electors cast their votes, and there are no surprises
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - On Tuesday, 538 electors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia convened across the country to formalize former President Donald Trump’s victory in the November election.
South Carolina’s electors met in Columbia, while Georgia’s met in Atlanta.
The law requires every four years that every state’s electors meet on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December to cast their votes for president and vice president.
That’s what happened Tuesday
South Carolina’s nine electors – representing the seven congressional districts, plus two at-large seats – all cast their votes for Donald Trump and JD Vance on Tuesday.
“Everything in America just feels better to me. I mean, when I go outside and the sky is blue, it just feels bluer,” said Cindy Costa, an at-large elector.
South Carolina Republican Party Chair Drew McKissick served as the electors’ president – with Secretary of State Mark Hammond certifying the results.
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“This is an exercise in American democracy,” said Tyson Grinstead, an elector for South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District.
Xiaodan Li was an elector for the 1st Congressional District.
“I grew up in China, so I never had the opportunity to vote. … When I was studying English and our friends were arguing what made America great, some would say it’s American military. Some would say it’s American economy. I would say it’s the American Constitution,” Li said.
The entire process took about an hour – with no unexpected twists – and largely focused on paperwork, with the electors repeatedly g their names to cast their votes.
The South Carolina GOP’s executive committee selected the electors – who formalized Trump’s 18-point victory last month in the reliably red state.
“We’ve been given a second chance, and I think we need to act like it,” said Alexia Newman, an elector for the 4th Congressional District. “We need to govern like we’re in charge. So it was my honor to cast my vote today.”
At the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta, there were police dogs roaming the hallways and law enforcement on high alert.
The Republican Party chair called the meeting, and the mood was harmonious, the vote like clockwork.
It was no comparison to the tension in 2020 after the group of Trump’s allies attempted to cast their ballots for him.
Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon led the electors.
The mood was harmonious. The vote was like clockwork. There was no comparison to the tension in 2020.
McKoon spoke inside the Georgia Senate Chamber before calling for a vote. He addressed what he called “indignities” that Trump faced over the last 4 years.
“Imagine a president of the United States, a former president of the United States, having his home raided by law enforcement officers, having partisan prosecutors that put their loyalty to their political party, over their loyalty to their oath of office,” said McKoon. “All the indictments, all the unbelievable perversion of our criminal justice system. Not one, but two attempts on President Trump’s life.”
Georgia’s election interference case against Trump is unlikely to go to trial.
“It seems like in a lot of ways, this fever has broken in America and in Georgia, and we can respect the result of a clear win in the election,” said McKoon.
The GOP electors felt confident in the 2024 election results. McKoon said the GOP will push for more election reform bills, including opting out of automatic voter registration and closed party primaries.
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