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These Eight Votes Really Count

Sue Lincoln
Electoral College meets in House chamber today

Votes being cast for President of the United States today will actually count, as the Electoral College convenes.

U-L Monroe political science professor Joshua Stockley explains the ballot you cast on November 8th was – in essence – advisory.

“The vote in a state goes towards determining who wins that state, and by winning that state, a particular slate of electors is assigned.”

Or as Scott Wilfong – one of Louisiana’s electors -- explains it:

“You know, we’re 300-million people and, in the end, the leader of our country comes down to 538.”

Wilfong is from Baton Rouge,  and chairs the state GOP’s rules committee. He is one of two “members at large” of Louisiana’s electoral college.  The other is Garret C. Monti from Boutte, a notary who ran for state senate in 2011.

The six men and two women voting today also include Christopher Trahan of Covington, a former candidate for state representative, and Charles Buckels, who runs Redflex Cameras out of Lafayette. There’s Lloyd A. Harsch, a professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and former state Representative Kay Katz of Monroe, who says she’s honored to be part of the process.

“It shows that each vote does count.”

Lennie Rhys of Baton Rouge, executive director of “Louisiana Strong”, is the other female elector. And there’s Caddo Parish GOP chair Louis R. Avallone, who says he’s excited to vote for Mr. Trump today.

“We can expect him to make things happen for our country.”

Wilfong says despite rumblings heard elsewhere, don’t expect any of Louisiana’s electors to break faith with the Republican Party’s candidate.

“All of us will –without a doubt – vote for Trump.”

The voting takes place in Louisiana’s House Chamber, and will be live streamed on the web via the legislative website beginning at 11:30 a.m. The votes won’t actually be opened and counted until January 4th, when a joint session of Congress convenes to tally and certify the votes.