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I am writing this letter as a purely information piece in view of the upcoming presidential election.
It is important to know how the election process works if none of the presidential candidates get enough Electoral College votes (270) to win. This can easily happen if we have a strong third-party candidate such as the “No Labels Party” or a few relatively strong alternative party candidates. It is important to know the answer to this question when considering your vote.
So, here’s the answer. Should no candidate achieve 270 Electoral College votes, the House of Representatives gets to choose the president with one vote per state. That is one vote per state without regard for any differences in state populations. Given today’s political climate, it is not unreasonable to forecast the House of Representatives would give the office of the presidency to Donald Trump.
The vice president would be elected by the Senate with each senator getting one vote. Again, it is not unreasonable to project the current Senate would most likely elect a vice president from someone in the Democratic Party. We could possibly have the president from one party and the vice president from a different party.
So I urge you to check this out for yourself. Google it. Pass the word to all your friends and family; and think very carefully before you vote for a third-party candidate. The result could be highly contrary to your original intent.
Mary Galperin
Bar Harbor
