Kentuckians from across the Commonwealth gathered at the State Capitol today to observe Kentucky’s eight Presidential Electors cast their ballots for President and Vice President of the United States.
“The meeting of the electors is a special opportunity to see our democracy in action,” said Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. “It’s great to have people come together to witness our electors cast their votes on behalf of all Kentuckians.”
Pursuant to the United States Constitution, the President and Vice President are elected by the Electoral College, which is comprised of electors from each state. The number of electors allocated to each state is equal to the number of Senators and Representatives the state has in Congress.
Because Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan won Kentucky’s popular vote, Kentucky’s electors are those nominated by the Republican Party:
• Terry E. Forcht (Whitley) – at-large
• Mira Ball (Fayette) – at-large
• Wilma W. Cooper (Christian) – 1st Congressional District
• Mary Ann Baron (Green) – 2nd Congressional District
• Lawrence E. Cox (Jefferson) – 3rd Congressional District
• Kevin Sell (Campbell) – 4th Congressional District
• Robert L. Mitchell (Knox) – 5th Congressional District
• Dave Disponett (Anderson) – 6th Congressional District
Throughout the United States, each state’s electors meet on the same day in their respective state capitals to cast their electoral votes. Kentucky is one of 24 states in which the electors are not required to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote. Nonetheless, Romney and Ryan received all eight of Kentucky’s electors’ votes for President and Vice President, respectively.
The electors’ votes will be transmitted to the President of the U.S. Senate, who on January 8, 2013, will open and read before both houses of Congress the electoral votes from each state. The candidates with the most electoral votes will be declared the next President and Vice President of the United States.
The meeting was held in the Supreme Court’s Chambers in the State Capitol in Frankfort. In addition to Grimes, Sen. Damon Thayer welcomed the electors, and Professor Joshua A. Douglas from the University of Kentucky College of Law made remarks regarding the history of the electoral college. The ceremony also featured performances of The Star-Spangled Banner by Dr. Everett McCorvey, Director of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, and My Old Kentucky Home by the Collins Lane Elementary Fifth Grade Select Ensemble.
