SEATTLE — Fines of $1,000 each are headed for the mailboxes of four Democratic electors who refused to honor Washington state’s popular vote for president.
Secretary of State Kim Wyman’s office said the citations were mailed to the so-called “faithless electors” on Thursday.
The penalties stem from the Electoral College vote on Dec. 19, when Washington’s 12 electors met to officially cast the state’s vote for president and vice president of the U.S.
In acts of protest, four of them refused to cast their ballots for Democrat Hillary Clinton, who won the state with 54 percent of the vote – breaking state law and their own written pledges.
Three voted instead for former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell, while a fourth voted for Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American activist and tribal elder from South Dakota.
Those actions triggered a state law that imposes fines of up to $1,000 for such rogue votes by electors. It’s the first time the law has been enforced since it was enacted three decades ago.
Some of the electors have challenged Washington’s law as unconstitutional, but federal courts have so far rejected their claims.
The four electors will have 60 days to pay the fine, or they can file a notice of appeal within 21 days, according to Wyman’s office.
In any event, the $1,000 penalties may not sting much, as several online campaigns have been raising money to pay the electors’ fines.
