#BREAKING: Democratic Maine elector’s vote for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders ruled improper; he switches vote to Hillary Clinton. #mepolitics
— Sun Journal (@sunjournal) December 19, 2016
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Electoral College meeting Monday to formally elect Donald Trump the nation’s 45th president (all times EDT):
Updated 4:44 p.m.: New Jersey’s 14 electors formally selected Democrat Hillary Clinton for president on Monday, bringing her total to 166 — still behind Donald Trump and the number required to become president.
Trump’s Electoral College total stands at 259, just shy of the 270 he needs to formally win the White House.
Solidly Democratic New Jersey awarded all of the state’s Electoral College votes to the former senator and secretary of state.
Updated 4:18 p.m.: The eleven members of the Electoral College from Massachusetts have chosen Hillary Clinton for president and brought her total to 139.
She won the popular vote in the Nov. 8 election, but Republican Donald Trump is poised to win the formal electoral vote to certify the nation’s 45th president. Trump has 256 of the 270 votes required to win the White House.
A few hundred protesters opposed to Trump’s election rallied outside the statehouse earlier in the day, with some calling for a change in the Electoral College that would guarantee the national popular vote winner becomes president.
Similar protests were held in state capitals around the U.S. on Monday.
Updated 3:58 p.m.: Four members of the Electoral College in Washington state cast their votes for a candidate other than statewide popular vote winner Hillary Clinton.
It’s the first time in four decades the state’s electors have broken from the popular vote for president. Washington’s 12 electors met Monday afternoon in the state Capitol to complete the constitutional formality. Clinton got eight votes while other candidates got the remaining four.
Republican Donald Trump won 306 electoral votes to Clinton’s 232 in the Nov. 8 election.
Updated 3:21 p.m.: Donald Trump is closing in on the 270 votes he needs to formally win the presidency.
Arizona and Missouri electors pushed him to 245 votes Monday, while Democrats Hillary Clinton had 120.
She won the national popular vote, and protests continued around the country in state capitols where electors were meeting Monday.
But Trump remains poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 3:01 p.m.: Electors in Wyoming and one in Maine have pushed Republican Donald Trump closer to formally winning the presidency.
The votes bring Trump’s total to 219 electors. Oregon, New Mexico and Colorado — plus three in Maine — bring Democrat Hillary Clinton’s total to 120.
Two hundred-seventy votes are required to win the White House. Trump is expected to reach that threshold.
Updated 2:48 p.m.: A Texas elections official says as many as four of the state’s presidential electors may be replaced before Republicans begin casting ballots in the Electoral College, though Donald Trump isn’t expected to lose any of those votes.
Texas Secretary of State spokeswoman Alicia Pierce says up to three electors may be disqualified for having jobs with the federal government. Another elector previously resigned after expressing concern about Trump’s presidential qualifications.
Because Republicans will pick the replacements, Trump isn’t expected to lose those electors.
Texas has 38 presidential electors.
Updated 2:30 p.m.: Electors in Michigan and Florida have cast their combined 45 votes for Donald Trump, making his his Electoral College total jump closer to the amount required to formally win the presidency.
The states, with 16 and 19 votes respectively, bring Trump’s total to 215 electors. Two hundred-seventy votes are required to win the White House.
Democrat Hillary Clinton has 96 votes. She won the national popular vote, and protests continued around the country in state capitols where electors were meeting Monday.
But Trump remains poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 2:14 p.m.: North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah have pushed Republican Donald Trump closer to the 270 votes required to win the presidency.
The states’ electors gave Trump 166 electoral votes to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 96 as protests simmered around the country.
Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 2:02 p.m.: A second elector — this one in Minnesota — has refused to cast a vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton in Monday’s Electoral College tally.
It wasn’t immediately clear why Muhammad Abdurrahman didn’t vote for Clinton, but he was a delegate for Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention.
The electors are pledged to cast Minnesota’s 10 electoral votes for Clinton since she won the state.
Abdurrahman was immediately replaced by an alternate who later voted for Clinton.
Earlier in the day, a so-called “faithless elector” in Maine cast his vote for Sanders, who lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Clinton. David Bright said on his Facebook page that he cast his vote for Sanders because voting for Clinton would not have helped her win.
Updated 1:44 p.m.: The latest votes give 10 electors each to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in Monday’s Electoral College vote for president. Trump remains far ahead in the formal vote and is expected to win the 270 votes required to win the White House.
Wisconsin’s 10 electors have chosen statewide winner Trump, bringing his total to 144 electoral votes. Maryland’s 10 electors have chosen Clinton, bringing her total to 59.
The former secretary of state won the national popular vote in the Nov. 8 election. Protesters rallied at state capitols around the country to persuade electors to choose someone other than Trump in the Electoral College vote on Monday.
Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 1:10 p.m.: Electors from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio and Louisiana have given Republican Donald Trump 134 of the 270 electoral votes required to formally win the presidency.
The new total includes 20 votes from Pennsylvania, 18 from Ohio, 15 from North Carolina and eight from Louisiana.
Democrat Hillary Clinton has 43 electoral votes, including 29 from her home state of New York.
She won the national popular vote in the Nov. 8 election, and protesters rallied at state capitols around the country against Trump’s expected victory in the Electoral College Monday.
Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789. That’s far more than the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.
Updated 12:45 p.m.: Donald Trump has won 68 electoral votes in Monday’s tally of the Electoral College.
The new total includes all 16 presidential electors in Georgia and eight in Kentucky, as well as electors in South Carolina, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Hillary Clinton has 10 electoral votes and as well as the Nov. 8 popular vote. Protesters rallied at state capitols around the country against Trump’s expected victory in the Electoral College Monday.
Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789. That’s far more than the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.
Updated 12:45 p.m.: Donald Trump has won 68 electoral votes in Monday’s tally of the Electoral College.
The new total includes all 16 presidential electors in Georgia and eight in Kentucky, as well as electors in South Carolina, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Hillary Clinton has 10 electoral votes and as well as the Nov. 8 popular vote. Protesters rallied at state capitols around the country against Trump’s expected victory in the Electoral College Monday.
Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789. That’s far more than the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.
Updated 11:59 a.m.: Democrat Hillary Clinton has won Delaware’s three electoral votes — giving her a total of 10 — but she’s still far behind Republican Donald Trump’s total of 44 in Monday’s formal tally.
Clinton won Delaware in the Nov. 8 presidential election as well as the national popular vote. Protesters rallied at state capitols around the country against Trump’s expected victory in the Electoral College Monday.
Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789. That’s far more than the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.
Updated 11:48 a.m.: Democrat Hillary Clinton has won New Hampshire’s four electoral votes – giving her a total of seven – but she’s still far behind Republican Donald Trump’s total of 44 in Monday’s formal tally.
Clinton won New Hampshire in the Nov. 8 presidential election as well as the national popular vote. Protesters rallied at state capitols around the country against Trump’s expected victory in the Electoral College.
Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789. That’s far more than the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.
Updated 11:36 a.m.: With a win in South Carolina, Donald Trump now has won 44 electoral votes of the 270 he needs to formally win the presidency.
Democrat Hillary Clinton has won Vermont’s three electoral votes.
Trump on Monday also has won votes in Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Clinton won the popular vote in the Nov. 8 election. But Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 11:31 p.m.: One faithless elector has cast a vote in Maine – for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
David Bright said on his Facebook page that he cast his vote for Sanders, instead of Hillary Clinton because his vote would not have helped her win.
“I cast my Electoral College vote for Bernie Sanders today to let those new voters who were inspired by him know that some of us did hear them, did listen to them, do respect them and understand their disappointment,” he wrote.
Clinton won the popular vote in the Nov. 8 election. But Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 11:30 a.m.: With wins in Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia, Donald Trump now has won 35 electoral votes of the 270 he needs to formally win the presidency.
Democrat Hillary Clinton has won Vermont’s three electoral votes.
Clinton won the popular vote in the Nov. 8 election. But Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 10:29 a.m.: Tennessee’s 11 presidential electors have cast their ballots for Republican Donald Trump.
They were required by state law to vote for Donald Trump, who overwhelmingly carried Tennessee in November.
The vote Monday came with little fanfare. One audience member tried to read out some Scripture before the ballots were cast, but was told he could not speak.
Protesters held rallies at state Capitols around the country, including in Nashville. The group called the December 19 Coalition said it wanted to try to persuade electors to change their minds given the CIA and FBI’s conclusions that Russia interfered in the presidential election with the goal of supporting Trump.
Updated 10:31 a.m.: Vermont’s three members of the Electoral College are the first to report their vote for president.
All three chose Democrat Hillary Clinton, reflecting the state’s vote in the Nov. 8 presidential election.
The Vermont electors are Gov. Peter Shumlin, state Rep. Tim Jerman and Martha Allen, president of the Vermont chapter of the National Education Association.
New York real estate magnate Donald Trump won the race nationally. But in Vermont, Clinton got 55.7 percent of the vote, while Trump received 29.8 percent.
Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 10:02 a.m.: Hundreds of demonstrators are gathering on the steps of Pennsylvania’s Capitol building with the faint hope that they’ll persuade the electors not to vote for Republican President-elect Donald Trump.
The sign-waving protesters in 25-degree weather Monday were examples of demonstrations around the country against the Electoral College’s expected selection of Trump as the nation’s 45th president.
Trump won Pennsylvania’s popular vote, which means he gets to pick the people who cast Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes. That’s fifth-most electors in the nation.
Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by less than 1 percent in Pennsylvania.
He is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
Updated 3:16 a.m.: Electors are gathering Monday in every state to formally elect Donald Trump president even as anti-Trump forces try one last time to deny him the White House.
Protests are planned Monday in state capitals, but they’re unlikely to persuade the Electoral College to dump Trump. An Associated Press survey of electors found very little appetite to vote for alternative candidates.
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2.6 million votes. But Trump is poised to win 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.
The AP tried to reach every elector and interviewed more than 330 of them. Despite the national group therapy session being conducted by some Democrats, only one Republican elector told the AP that he won’t vote for Trump.
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