Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes formally went to Donald Trump as protesters pleaded with electors to ignore the results of the November election and pick someone else.
The electors – all Republican Party activists – ignored the protesters as they voted at the Capitol first for Trump to become president and then for Mike Pence as vice president.
“We’re doing good things here at the state level and hopefully we’re going to export that to the federal level,” state GOP chair Brad Courtney said after the vote.
Nationally, Trump secured 304 electoral votes – two fewer than he earned in November, according to the Associated Press. More electors (eight) tried to defect from Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote over Trump but lost in the Electoral College.
Numerous Trump opponents across the country urged Republican electors not to vote for Trump, to no avail.
The formality of casting Wisconsin’s electoral votes is normally a quiet affair. But the vote garnered extra attention with Wisconsin one of three states that put Trump over the top in the Electoral College. Protesters frequently warned of Trump’s ties to Russia and predicted dire consequences if he becomes president.
One man stood up before the vote, holding a sign as he said, “No Putin president.”
As he was led out, he shouted over his shoulder to the electors, “You’re electing someone who’s going to destroy the world.”
Courtney, who was selected to chair the meeting, shrugged off the protests after formally signing the documents certifying Wisconsin’s electoral votes.
“It’s democracy at work,” he told a throng of reporters. “We’re just very excited. Again, 1.4 million people voted for Donald J. Trump, and we’re just excited to be part of this.”
-Wispolitics.com is a media partner of BizTimes Milwaukee.
