Exam day at the Electoral College, missing concepts and statehouse follies
Published December 13th 2008 in Buffalo News
ELECTION DAY: We’ve been calling Barack Obama the president-elect for a month or so now, but technically that’s not quite correct. That’s because he won’t really be voted in until Monday.

That’s when the Electoral College meets, in state capitals across the nation. The electors who were chosen by voters in November (and here you thought you voted directly for a candidate!) will cast state votes and Obama ­ presumably ­ will be headed toward his Inauguration.

Those votes will be cast even in the states, such as New York, that were largely ignored by the candidates because it made no sense to waste time and money in places already safely decided. According to the electoral research group FairVote, 98 percent of presidential or vice presidential candidate events were held in just 15 states, and 57 percent were held in the pivotal states of Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Oh, Barack and Johnnie, we hardly knew ye.
Sierra Club National Popular Vote Resolution
WHEREAS, the mission of the Sierra Club is to explore, enjoy and protect the planet through grassroots participation in politics and government; and

WHEREAS,  presidential candidates focus their efforts and resources only in battleground states.

WHEREAS, two-thirds of the states receive little to no attention in a competitive presidential election.

THERFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sierra Club supports National Popular Vote state legislation that will elect the President of the United States by popular vote.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Sierra Club supports election of the President of the United States by direct popular vote.