Joe Biden received a majority of the electoral votes nationally, and is the president-elect. But on Monday, Alaska’s three Electoral College members cast their votes for President Donald Trump.
Each presidential candidate has electors who are pledged to vote for them if they win the most votes in each state. John Binkley of Fairbanks, and Judy Eledge and Randy Ruedrich of Anchorage were pledged to vote for Trump when he won Alaska. They met in Juneau to sign the documents awarding their votes on the same day that the electors in every state cast their votes.
Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer says Alaska benefits from the indirect system for electing the president.
“Here in Alaska, we recognize the importance of the Electoral College,” he said, “and the parity that it brings to the smaller populated states, like Alaska.”
Meyer’s office oversees the Division of Elections. He says the election went smoothly in the state.
“And that’s not an easy task even in a normal year. But with this being such an abnormal year, it was a huge task,” he said.
There has been more attention to the Electoral College this year, as Donald Trump has contested the election results.
Alaska Acting Attorney General Ed Sniffen wrote a letter last week attempting to join a filing in support of a Texas lawsuit challenging the results in four states. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Texas lawsuit on Friday.
Also last week, Dunleavy said on a conservative podcast that there is an “outside chance” Biden will become the president.
Andrew Kitchenman is the state government and politics reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO in Juneau. Reach him at akitchenman@alaskapublic.org.
