Faithless electors

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This Monday, a teenager from Vancouver who originally supported Bernie Sanders will head to Olympia and decide whether to join the “faithless” or so-called Hamilton Electors to send a message of protest about Donald Trump becoming president.

Ryleigh Ivey, who is 18 and finishing classes at Hudson Bay High School, said she’s still weighing her options.

“I have a lot of different obligations,” Ivey said. “I have an oath, but I also have the people who elected me who want someone else. I have a whole bunch to consider.”

Ivey said she’s looking forward to arriving in Olympia at the statehouse Monday at noon to see if there’s a plan.

“Some sort of plan would be helpful,” Ivey said.

She remains unconvinced that changing her vote would make much of an impact, let alone prevent Trump from becoming president. And she can’t afford a $1,000 fine.

“If I knew there were enough electors across the country who were going to do it and it would break Trump’s victory, I would consider it,” Ivey said. “But at this point it’s not really worth it.”

Since Clinton won Washington, the 12 electors are obligated to vote for her. But the national effort to prevent Trump from becoming presidency has spurred some electors to consider voting for another Republican, with the goal of sending a message of political disapproval or ideally from taking away votes from Trump.

An Associated Press report, however, said despite the headlines, interviews with more than 330 electors showed most Republican electors planned to vote for Trump.

There is a civil fine of $1,000 for those who vote for someone besides their nominee. Secretary of State Kim Wyman has been discussing with the state’s attorney general on the process of fines if there are faithless electors, her office said. Some of the state’s Hamilton Electors, including Levi Guerra, of Grant County, tried but failed to convince a judge to end the fines.

Ivey, for her part, said the process has been a learning experience.

Next year, she hopes to study political science at Clark College.

The voting will be streamed live by TVW on Monday.