There’s a change.org petition to try and prevent a Trump presidency and it’s going mega-vi

‘Casting your ballot for Hillary preserves majority rule – the ‘sense of the people”

While it looks like Donald Trump will be our president on January 20, angered Americans are doing everything they can do prevent it.

The most recent, viral, attempt to do so is a petition calling for the Trump-supporting members of the Electoral College to become “faithless electors” and vote for Clinton, rather than the candidate the are bound to, on December 19th.

The petition claims:

“Hillary won the popular vote. The only reason Trump ‘won’ is because of the Electoral College. But the Electoral College can actually give the White House to either candidate. So why not use this most undemocratic of our institutions to ensure a democratic result?”

If given 1,000,00 signatures, the petition will send a letter to the Electors of the Electoral College. The letter cites founding father Alexander Hamilton, saying:

“In Federalist No. 68, Hamilton explains that the ‘sense of the people’, must be expressed in the outcome [of an election]….Casting your ballot for Hillary preserves majority rule – the ‘sense of the people.'”

Currently, the petition has 613,525 supporters and is growing. Celebrities, such as Lady Gaga and Perez Hilton, have expressed their support for the petition.

 

The Tab asked two university students, who signed the petition, why they did so.

Kami Thomas, 22, Florida State University, said: “Because if there’s any chance we can un-do a system that’s pinned against the majority, I’m going to do my part helping in any way I can.

Lexi Lampner, 19, who studies at the University of Florida, said: “Electors have the power to essentially override the Electoral College. This is the 5th time a candidate has won the popular vote and lost the college. This election has been special in far too many ways, and what we have seen from Donald Trump absolutely warrants Electors giving him their respective votes. Sure, it may seem ‘undemocratic,’ but the constitution gives electors that power, and extraordinary time call for extraordinary measures.”

Whether or not the petition will make a difference in the way the Electoral College votes, it’s reassuring to see Americans rallying to make their voice heard in our democracy.
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