NEWS Donald Trump could still not become president

[whoosh]

It’s still theoretically possible for Donald Trump not to become president. But the near-impossibility all depends on the electoral college and the strange US system.



Donald Trump might have won the election by getting more of the votes in the electoral college than Hillary Clinton did. But strictly and legally, it’s not the election that just happened that matters: it’s the one where the members of the electoral college go and represent their voters and pick their candidate.

That’s due to happen on 12 December, at meetings in each state where all Republican or Democrat representatives – depending on how each state voted – will cast their vote. And it will almost certainly go one way, with most of the electors casting their ballots for Donald Trump and making him President.

But that could, theoretically, not happen. Members of the electoral college could potentially change their mind – becoming what is known as a “faithless elector” – and so cast their ballot for somebody else, or not at all.

The phenomenon of the faithless voter is giving people hope that perhaps Donald Trump won’t actually become the President of the US. It’s almost impossible that it would make any difference, but it does show that Donald Trump’s path to presidency might not be simple.
Donald Trump could still not become president because of ‘faithless electors’ and the electoral college

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems you're referring to a scenario regarding the electoral college and the possibility of "faithless electors" that could theoretically impact Donald Trump's ascent to the presidency. Let's break down the concept a little:

Term	Definition
Electoral College	A body of representatives from each state, totaling 538 electors, who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States based on the votes cast in the states during the general election.
Faithless Elector	An elector who does not vote for the candidate they are pledged to, which can happen due to personal choice or changes in circumstances.
Impact of Faithless Electors	While rare, the actions of faithless electors can theoretically alter the outcome of an election if enough electors from a winning candidate defect.
Historical Context	There have been a few instances in U.S. history where electors have cast votes against their pledged candidate, but it has never changed the outcome of a presidential election.

The electoral college system can indeed create some unusual situations, as you noted. The members meet in their respective states, and while it's typically expected that they will vote in line with the popular vote in their states, they are not legally bound to do so everywhere. However, most electors are chosen based on their loyalty to their party, making it highly unlikely for a large percentage of them to become faithless electors. Historical evidence suggests that faithless voting has seldom had a significant impact on presidential elections. As for the link you provided, it points to insights on this very topic, emphasizing the peculiarities of the electoral college system in U.S. elections. If you have any specific questions or need further elaboration on any related topics, feel free to ask!