A nation watched, and SC cast nine electoral votes for President Trump. What’s next?
No, South Carolina didn’t formally vote for president and vice president on Nov. 3. That actually happened Monday when Electoral College members met to cast nine votes for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
During a meeting of the state’s Electoral College, chaired by S.C. Secretary of State Mark Hammond, the state’s nine electors — six women and three men — each cast their votes for the Republican ticket of President Donald Trump and Mike Pence, reflecting that ticket’s Nov. 3 victory in South Carolina over the Democratic candidates for president and vice president, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Across the nation, similar meetings of each state’s electors took place Monday, with the Biden-Harris ticket slated to get 306 electoral votes and the Trump-Pence ticket, 232.
Ultimately on Monday, when the voting is finished, Biden becomes in effect the president-elect and Harris becomes the vice president-elect. They will be sworn in on Jan. 20.
Despite their apparent looming loss, South Carolina’s electors — Republican Party officials drawn from various parts of South Carolina chosen by the party’s executive committee — said Monday they appreciated the event’s historical nature and were proud to be a part of it. Most brought a friend or relative along.
“It’s a lifetime opportunity,” said Sandra Bryan of Richland County, who represented the state’s 6th Congressional District. She said she had worked in party politics since 1996 but never thought she would be an elector. “I’m so honored and humbled to be here representing the state and the 6th District.”
“I’ve tried to teach my people in Newberry how important this is because so many people out there don’t realize that this is more important than anything that we do, because this is how the president gets elected and we have done our job in South Carolina,” said Teresa “Charm” Altman, chairwoman of the Newberry County Republicans. “I pray that Georgia will follow through and do their job.”
In most presidential election years, individual states’ Electoral College voting attracts little attention. But this year, given not only President Trump’s refusal to concede but also the lack of a willingness of many Republican top elected officials to say that Biden is the president-elect, Monday’s voting attracted widespread attention.
CNN broadcast many of the individual states’ votes live and, though the outcome was foreordained, carried a running total throughout the day on who was ahead. Hawaii, the last state to vote, was not due to finish until Monday night.
The votes now will be sent to Congress. There, on Jan. 6, the U.S. House and Senate will hold a joint session to officially certify the presidential election. During that session, lawmakers can object to certain states’ electoral votes, but for an objection be voted on, both a representative and a senator will have to sign on.
Each elector signed their names 12 different times — a total of 108 signatures by all nine electors — to two different forms, one for Trump, and one for Pence. One form will go to the president of the U.S. Senate, two forms to the archivist of the United States, two forms to the S.C. Secretary of State, and one form to the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in South Carolina.
Monday’s voting took place in a first floor hearing room in the Blatt House Office Building. Special operations police teams from the S.C. Highway Patrol and the State Law Enforcement Division were on hand in case of trouble. But there was no trouble, and for the most part they were out of sight.
Underscoring the solemnity of the event was a four-man color guard from the S.C. Highway Patrol, whose members carried rifles, the American flag and the South Carolina flag, wore white gloves, dress uniforms and what appeared to be spit-shined black boots. As befitting a ceremony in these pandemic days, they also wore black face coverings, as did everyone else in the room.
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s office didn’t immediately comment on whether the senior senator would sign on to an objection. Sen. Tim Scott’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Alabama U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, a Republican, has announced he plans to challenge the electoral college tally.
Whether Republican congressmen from South Carolina would join in objections remains to be seen. Among those in attendance on hand for the state’s Electoral College voting Monday were Republican Congressmen Ralph Norman of York County and Joe Wilson of Lexington.
Norman told a State reporter he wasn’t ready to acknowledge Biden yet as president-elect because Trump has not conceded and may still fight on in court. “He (Trump) has every right to explore every avenue,” Norman said.
“What we want is a fair election, and I’ll be signing on to (an objection) when we have a senator and a House member that objects,” Norman said.
Wilson said he would make a decision on whether to join objections after any remaining court cases are decided.
Numerous court challenges of all kinds to the presidential election have failed, including the US. Supreme Court last week’s quick dismissal of a case filed by the Texas attorney general.
In that case, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, as well as South Carolina’s five seated GOP House members, signed friend of the court briefs supporting the lawsuit. Virtually all legal scholars have said that suit was deficient in both facts and law and had no chance, even with conservatives — including three appointed by Trump — having a majority on the high court.
Attempts to object to electoral votes from some states being counted failed in 2000 and 2016, when only Democratic representatives filed objections without any Democratic senators signing on.
After the 2004 election, debate was held over an objection over Ohio’s electoral vote, but President George W. Bush still was re-elected.
If Republicans from both the House and Senate sign on to an objection, each chamber votes separately on the objection, but both chambers have to agree to the objection for the electoral votes not to be counted.
With the Democrats controlling the House, any objection from Republicans would most likely fail.
“I’m thankful to be here in South Carolina where we got the process right,” said S.C. GOP Chairman Drew McKissick, who served as an elector.
McKissick said he wasn’t making a comment about processes that took place in other states, but rather how South Carolina was able to keep its established rules of signature requirements on mail-in ballots in place after court challenges.
During the South Carolina electoral college meeting, electors used the opportunity to defend the process, rather than having a direct popular vote select the president.
“Small states, and we’re technically a small state, will have no voice if we get rid of the electoral college,” said elector Terry Hardesty, of Berkeley County, the elector from the 1st Congressional District.
Electors, comprised of local GOP leaders, also used the Electoral College to make political statements.
Gerri McDaniel, of Horry County, the state director of Trump’s presidential campaign, wore a pin that said, “Women for Trump.” Cindy Costa, a state Republican National Committeewoman, wore a mask with “Trump” printed on it.
“Our constitutional republic is not a democracy. It is a constitutional republic,” said James Ulmer, of Orangeburg County, an elector representing the 2nd Congressional District. “Instead of having a mob rule where 51% of those can vote to trample over the rights of 49%, the rights of the little guy are looked out for as well.”
Elector Hardesty said, “This is Constitution 101 — it’s an honor to be here. It’s where we elect a president. When this is all over with, I think there will be a peaceful transfer of power.”
South Carolina’s electors:
▪ Terry Hardesty, Berkeley County GOP state executive committeeman
▪ James S. Ulmer, Jr., Orangeburg County GOP chairman
▪ Cheryl Cuthrell, Anderson County GOP chairwoman
▪ Suzette Jordan, Greenville County GOP state executive committeeman
▪ Charm Altman, Newberry County GOP chairwoman
▪ Sandra H. Bryan, 6th Congressional District GOP chairwoman
▪ Gerri McDaniel, Horry County state executive committeeman
▪ Cindy Costa, Republican National Committeewoman from South Carolina
▪ Drew McKissick, S.C. GOP chairman
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 12:23 PM.
