Photo Courtesy the Supreme Court of the United States
Contributed Article
PHOENIX – Representative Anthony Kern (R-20) issued a statement regarding Monday’s unanimous ruling by the United States Supreme Court that states may enforce, through legal sanctions, that members of the Electoral College cast their votes for the presidential candidates they had pledged to support.
“Americans must have confidence that the people selected as electors will faithfully represent the voters’ choice for president, said Representative Kern. “The Supreme Court made the right decision, and the Justices’ unanimous vote is an assuring message to those of us who are fighting to protect the integrity of our elections.”
In 2017, Representative Kern authored a bill, HB2302, adding two new provisions to A.R.S. 16-212. One created a requirement that the electors must cast votes for the President and Vice President who receive at least a plurality (“the highest number”) of the votes in the November election. The other created a requirement that if any elector refuses to vote for the President and Vice President candidates who receive the most votes, that their vote is to be invalidated and they are to be disqualified from further serving as an elector. This provision further required that the chair of the state party associated with the elector who is dismissed then replace the elector with another person who is qualified to serve as an elector. HB2302 was passed in the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Ducey on March 29, 2017.
