Missouri’s presidential electors gathered at the State Capitol today and cast their ballots for Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, who lost last month to incumbent Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Despite the nationwide results, Missouri’s 10 electors were still committed to cast their ballots for the Romney/Ryan ticket. State Representative Stanley Cox (R, Sedalia) was one of those 10. He said it was a little interesting to cast an electoral ballot for someone he knows won’t be president.
“I guess, you know, I made a moral commitment to a bunch of people back in June that I would do this, so it’s not hard to do," Cox said. "I certainly think he’d have made a great president, although I know he’s not going to be president.”
Other state electors around the country also cast their votes today, as directed by the majority of voters in those states. Governor Jay Nixon (D) briefly addressed Missouri’s electors before they cast their ballots.
“While this process has not been without debate and a lot of scrutiny over the past 225 years, it has served our nation well throughout our history," Nixon said. "Even in 1864, during the dark days of the Civil War, this system of selection of our country’s chief executive stood firm.”
Each state’s electoral votes will be counted by Congress on January 6th, with the presidential inauguration following on the 20th.
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