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Michael Moore Offers to Pay Fines of ‘Faithless Electors’

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Michael Moore, documentarian and political activist perhaps best known for his films Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, issued a statement on Facebook Sunday afternoon offering to pay the fines of any Republican Electors who choose not to cast their votes for President-Elect Donald Trump.

Appointed Electors in the Electoral College traditionally vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in their states, though there are currently no Constitutional or federal requirements stating that Electors must cast their votes according to their states’ popular votes. In some states, however, Electors who choose not to vote in accordance with the popular vote, called “Faithless Electors,” can incur a fine and be disqualified for casting an invalid vote. To date, no Elector has been prosecuted for not voting as expected.

In his plea, Moore attempts to assuage Electors’ potential fear of financial punishment and appeals to their sense of patriotism and duty, stating:

If you don’t vote for him, your state will fine you $1,000. So here’s my offer to you: I obviously can’t and won’t give you money to vote tomorrow, but if you do vote your conscience and you are punished for it, I will personally step up pay your fine which is my legal right to do.

Only 38 of you have to stand up and say, “I love my country and I cannot in good conscience vote for a man who, whether he means to or not, may put our nation in jeopardy. I love my country more than I love this job as an elector.”

At this point, most Electors have already cast their votes. All Moore and those of us who agree with his sentiments can do is cross our fingers and hope they received the message loud and clear.