My Last Hurrah

I have been involved as a Political Activist for over 60 years. I have voted in every National, State, and Local election since 1960.

On December 14, 2020, I cast my most important vote, as a member of the Massachusetts Electoral College for Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris.

How did I become an Elector?

The Democratic State Committee, (DSC), which has about 400 members, selects the Democratic Party Electors, every 4 years. Any Registered Democrat can apply to the DSC to become an Elector. In September, I campaigned successfully, at a virtual  DSC meeting, to become one of the 11 Electors from Massachusetts. There were about 25 candidates. Each state gets the number of Electors equal to its total number of Congressional seats.

In my campaign remarks to the DSC,  I described my active membership within the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee (DSC) since 1984,  and that I had also served as an elected official, first as a member of the Bedford School Committee and later as a Middlesex County Commissioner. That background helped get me selected as an Elector.

Electors from all 50 states met on December 14. The 11 Massachusetts Electors met in the Massachusetts House Chamber at the State House. There were 5 men, 5 women, and an Elector who identifies as transgender. In other years, there has been a celebration, a dinner, the men often wore tuxedos, and there were speeches from various elected officials. The event often would go on for hours.

This year, due to Covid 19, guests were not invited and the men wore black suits. Only Electors, a few media people, and the Secretary of State and some of his staff were allowed in the House Chamber. We all wore masks,  observed social distance, and were seated at least 10 feet apart.

The meeting was convened by Secretary of State Bill Galvin and we were all sworn in by him. Officers were elected. Democratic State Committee Chair Kate Donaghue conducted the meeting.

The meeting was convened at 3 pm and conducted without the usual pageantry and speeches. Every Elector played a small speaking role in the nomination, election , and reporting process.

When I was elected as Vice President,  I spoke briefly about the many votes and presidential transitions I had experienced in my life, transitions to Democratic Presidents being “hurrah moments” while transitions to Republican Presidents were often very discouraging.

I believe that this Electoral vote to transition from the Trump Presidency to the Biden Presidency was my most important vote. And that at age 84, the honor of being an Elector was probably my last Hurrah…..and I was savoring it.

“The Honorable Joseph R. Biden of Delaware” was the only name put in nomination and seconded for President of the United States. An alphabetical roll call vote followed and each Elector stood and said, “I cast my vote for Joseph R. Biden for President of the United States.”

“The Honorable Kamala D. Harris of California” was the only name put in nomination and seconded for Vice President of the United States. The Roll was called again. Each Elector stood and announced, “I cast my vote for Kamala D. Harris for Vice President of the United States.”

There was an extended period of time used for Electors to sign documents, certifying the vote into the formal record. Then a final vote instructed the Secretary of State to transmit the Certified Vote Record to Congress as required by law. The Electoral College was dissolved at about 4:15 pm.

It is the Electoral College vote and not the popular vote, based on our Constitution, that formally elects the President and Vice President of the United States. The Electors are bound by the popular vote in each state. There has been no extended controversy over the years and both Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 conceded when it was clear they lost the Electoral Vote even though they each won the popular vote.

I believe the popular vote should determine the Election of our President, but until the Constitution is amended, we must comply with the laws governing the Electoral College.

There are a total of 538 Electoral College votes. In 2020, Joe Biden and Kamala/Harris won 306 compared to 232 for Trump/Pence……Hurrah!