BOISE, Idaho — Idaho's presidential electors met today at 12 p.m. Governor Little and Secretary of State Lawrence Denney presided over the meeting at the State Capitol.
The state party appoints Electors to each prevailing candidate, so the state Republican Party appointed Idaho's four electors. All four Electors cast their vote for President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Elector Melinda Smyser said she is grateful to be apart of the process and the Electoral College.
“Small states are able to still have a say in the election because if we only had to go by the votes of the population, states like California, New York - Idaho would not have much of a say. So, we are fortunate to be able to have the Electoral College,” Smyser said.
Raul Labrador cast his vote as an Elector for the first time today. He says it is an honor to represent the people of Idaho.
“Idaho overwhelmingly voted for President Trump and I was just honored and excited and delighted to be here today,” Labrador said.
Elector Rod Beck, who participated in 2016, said this year's process is different compared to four years ago. Beck says in 2016 Electors received thousands of angry letters and protestors flooded the Statehouse.
This year, with COVID-19, the hallways were empty and quiet. Beck said he is grateful to be apart of the experience again.
“It's just an honor to be chosen to be a member of the electoral college, to cast a vote,” Beck said.
Idaho has never had a "faithless elector" since reaching statehood in 1890. A faithless elector is when an elector casts their vote for any person who is not their affiliated party's official candidate for either office. Idaho does not have any statutes preventing a faithless elector.
Now since the electoral votes are cast and counted, multiple packages with an originally signed copy of the Certificate of Votes, along with other documents, are sent to the President of the United States Senate, the national archivist and the chief judge of the Federal District of Idaho. The packages from each state are then opened in the next step of the congress's electoral process in early January.
