KXAN.COM.THIS ELECTION CYCLE
HAS BEEN ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL-
AND THAT COULD CARRY OVER TO
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.AND HERE
IN TEXAS THE ELECTORS- AREN'T
BOUND TO VOTE THE WAY THE
STATE DOES.TO WIN THE
PRESIDENCY YOU NEED 270
ELECTOR VOTES.ALL OF THOSE
ELECTORS WERE CHOSEN BY PARTY
MEMBERS WHO WILL MAKE THE
CHOICE NEXT MONTH.KXAN'S PHIL
PRAZAN GOES IN-DEPTH TO
EXPLAIN WHY TEXAS DOESN'T MAKE
IT A CRIME TO GO AGAINST THE
WAY YOU VOTED."IT REALLY HAS
NOT COME UP - TO THE BEST OF
MY KNOWLEDGE - AND I'VE BEEN
HERE FOR THIRTY YEARS."WHEN
TEXANS GO TO THE POLLS,
TECHNICALLY, THEY'LL BE VOTING
FOR THIS MAN - CURT NELSON -
ALONG WITH 37 OTHER REPUBLICAN
ELECTORS... OR THEIR
OPPONENTS, 38 DEMOCRATIC
ELECTORS. "CANDIDLY I DONT'
THINK FOLKS REALIZE THEY'RE
VOTING FOR THE ELECTORS TO
CAST THE BALLOT FOR PRESIDENT."
HE RAN AND WAS ELECTED AT THE
REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION.
AFTER THE VOTES ARE IN, THE
WINNING SIDE WILL MEET AT THE
TEXAS CAPITOL ON DECEMBER 19TH
TO CAST THEIR VOTES.THEY'LL
REMAIN SEALED UNTIL EARLY
JANUARY AT A JOINT SESSION OF
THE US HOUSE AND SENATE.BUT
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN ELECTOR
GOES AGAINST THE WILL OF THE
PEOPLE.IT'S KNOWN AS A
"FAITHLESS ELECTOR"...AND 14
STATES HAVE HAD IT HAPPEN TO
THEM... 26 STATES HAVE LAWS
REQUIRING ELECTORS TO VOTE THE
WAY THE PEOPLE VOTED.TEXAS
ISN'T ONE OF THEM.THE
SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE
SAYS THE LEGISLATURE HAS NEVER
TAKEN IT UP... BECAUSE IT'S
NEVER HAPPENED.THEY SAY TEXAS
DOESN'T HAVE A HISTORY OF
MAKING LAWS ABOUT PROBLEMS
THAT HAVEN'T COME UP.BUT
WHAT'S STOPPING IT FROM
HAPPENING THIS YEAR?"I WAS
REQUIRED TO SIGN AN AFFADAVIT
WITH MY PARTY SAYING THAT I
WOULD CAST MY BALLOT BASED
UPON THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
HERE."AND TEXANS WILL SOON
MAKE THEIR CHOICE.PHIL PRAZAN.
KXAN NEWS. TEXAS HAS 38
ELECTORAL VOTES: ONE FOR EACH
OF THE 36 CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICTS AND 2 AT LARGE FOR
OUR TWO US SENATORS. IT IS
WORTH NOTING- ELECTORAL
COLLEGE CONTROVERSY HAS COME
INTO PLAY BEFORE.THE ELECTION
OF 1876- AND PRESIDENT
RUTHERFORD B HAYES- WAS ONE OF
THE MOST CONTENTIOUS.HAYS LOST
THE POPULAR VOTE.BUT HE
DEFEATED SAMUEL TILDEN BY ONE
ELECTORAL VOTE.AND THAT WAS
ONLY BECAUSE OF A DEAL- WHERE
20 DISPUTED ELECTORAL VOTES-
ALL WENT TO HAYES.IN EXCHANGE,
THE REPUBLICANS PROMISED TO
END "RECONSTRUCTION" IN THE
SOUTH.A REFLECTION OF THE
DIVIDED TIMES- THAT ELECTION
IS STILL THE HIGHEST VOTER
TURNOUT PERCENTAGE IN U-S
HISTORY- WITH MORE THAN 80-
PERCENT.AND MAKE SURE TO KEEP
IT HERE TOMORROW NIGHT FOR OUR
COVERAGE OF THE 2016 RACE.
WE'LL BRING YOU THE LATEST
ELECTION RESULTS, LIVE
REACTION AND IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
