PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — In a unanimous decision today the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that presidential electors can only cast their ballot for the candidate who won the popular vote in their state. South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg helped assemble a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from 44 states and the District of Columbia in filing an amicus curiae brief to join the cases of Colorado v Baca and Chiafalo v Washington.
The Baca case began in 2016 when a Democratic elector in Colorado attempted to cast his ballot forJohn Kasich, despite the fact that Hillary Clinton had won the popular vote in that state. Baca wasremoved by state officials and replaced with an alternate elector who supported the popular vote. Hethen sued the state of Colorado. The question this case brought to SCOTUS was whether the stateshave the right to remove electors who do not follow the will of the state’s voters in a presidentialelection.
Chiafalo arose in Washington state when three presidential electors were fined $1,000 each under statelaw after they cast their electoral ballots for Colin Powell for president instead of Clinton. The questionthis case brought to SCOTUS was whether the states have the right to sanction electors who do notfollow the will of the state’s voters in a presidential election.
“I am pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court today emphasized the important role of the states in theelection of the President of the United States,” said Ravnsborg. “This is a vital ruling, protecting thevoice of the people of South Dakota, guaranteeing the state’s right to regulate our elections, and toensure our voices are heard in the selection of the President of the United States.”
(Tim Bormann contributed to this report.)
