Protesters gather outside Albany Capitol, send message to electors

Albany, NY — Protesters gathered outside the state Capitol Monday morning to urge the nation’s Republican members of the Electoral College not to cast their vote for President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump won 306 of the 538 electoral votes in the presidential election.  Those who oppose a Trump presidency would need 37 of the Electoral College’s GOP members to break ranks and vote for someone other than Trump.

Since Hillary Clinton won in New York, the state’s 29 electors, which include former President Bill Clinton, are expected to cast their votes today in the New York Senate Chamber for Hillary.

By 9:30 a.m. as many as 125 protesters had gathered at West Capitol Park in Albany with temperatures in the teens.

“I want to stop Trump,” said one Delmar resident. “Everything’s got me worried. His continuous tweets are ridiculous, as is his disregard for women’s issues. It’s misogyny and continual hate. I just don’t feel confident with him,” she said.

Protesters weren’t just asking electors to not vote for Donald Trump, but instead, urging them to vote with their conscience, as allowed under the United States Constitution.

“I’ve been on the fence for years about the Electoral College, Debra Miller-Collins of Avon, NY, said.   “But it seems like this year maybe it’s the year they should do what they were originally intended to do. We need them to protect us from a demagogue and psychopath like Trump.”

Protesters plan on remaining out in the cold until 1:00 p.m. to make sure their message is heard.

-Dylan Rossiter(@ByDylanRossiter)