OT: This Week In Voting Machine Security 3434

Wes Groleau

The original concept of the electors was that they should be free to use their discretion. We know that as late as 1876 candidates were "buying" electors, so it couldn't have been too surprising to have electors voting in ways contrary to their prior statements. For some elections it really was the case that people didn't know who won until the EC made its decision. (Consider the Burr fiasco when Jefferson was first elected. People realized that the EC was so badly designed that the consbreastution was very quickly amended.)

Even in modern times, when there there has been a safe margin in the EC, one elector may vote other than as committed. But of course when it is close in the EC no one would dare do that.

-j

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