Republican Senators Plan to Reject Electoral College

11 Republican senators and senator-elect are planning to reject the Electoral College results to certify Joe Biden as president-elect of the United States.

The coalition of senators is led by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. The other 10 members are:

• Sen. Ron Johnson - Wisconsin

• Sen. James Lankford - Oklahoma

• Sen. Steve Daines - Montana

• Sen. John Kennedy - Louisiana

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn - Tennessee

• Sen. Mike Braun - Indiana

• Sen.-elect Cynthia Lummis - Wyoming

• Sen.-elect Roger Marshall - Kansas

• Sen.-elect Bill Hagerty - Tennessee

• Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville - Alabama

Vice President Mike Pence also endorsed the efforts of the coalition.

Unfounded Fraud Allegations

Though they admit their chances of preventing Joe Biden from being inaugurated as president are low, the coalition vows to reject the Electoral College, citing fraud in the November election. In reality nearly 60 cases brought forward by the Trump administration have been unsuccessful or rejected for lack of standing and evidence. Joe Biden won the election by a margin of 306 - 232 in the Electoral College and with 7 million more votes.

Reactions to the "Stunt"

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, the top Democrat on the panel to oversee the Electoral College count, issued a statement against the attempt “to supersede state certifications.” She said, “It is undemocratic. It is un-American. And fortunately it will be unsuccessful. In the end, democracy will prevail.”

Biden campaign spokesperson Mike Gwin stated, “This stunt won’t change the fact that President-elect Biden will be sworn in on January 20th, and these baseless claims have already been examined and dismissed by Trump’s own Attorney General, dozens of courts, and election officials from both parties.”

A “stunt” such as this is a dangerous ploy. If it were to be successful it would mean overturning an election result, that wasn't even particularly close, with no major evidence that held up in court. Such precedent would be disastrous for the preservation of voter confidence in the election system, which has already seen problems with voter disenfranchisement.

Pennsylvania Republican Senator Pat Toomey said a “fundamental, defining feature of a democratic republic is the right of the people to elect their own leaders.” He went on to say that efforts “to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in swing states like Pennsylvania directly undermines this right.”

The Process Moves On

On January 6th the Electoral College votes will be brought before congress. It is likely that a member of the House and Senate will endorse counting objections, forcing a two-hour debate before the final vote. It is unlikely the votes will be rejected however as both chambers must uphold the objection. With Democrats controlling the House and some Republicans saying they will not contest the results in the Senate this is all but impossible.