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Washington ‘Faithless’ Electors Facing $1,000 Fines

<p>Democratic electors Phillip Tyler, left, and Esther John fill out their ballots with ceremonial plastic "quill" pens during a meeting of Washington state's Electoral College Monday, Dec. 19, 2016, in Olympia, Washington. </p>

Elaine Thompson

Democratic electors Phillip Tyler, left, and Esther John fill out their ballots with ceremonial plastic "quill" pens during a meeting of Washington state's Electoral College Monday, Dec. 19, 2016, in Olympia, Washington.

The four members of Washington's electoral college who voted for people other than Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine earlier this month will each be fined $1,000.

The Washington Secretary of State’s office is sending out notices this week to Esther John, Peter Chiafalo, Levi Guerra and Robert Satiacum. The four so-called “faithless” electors violated a state law that requires them to vote for their party’s nominees for president and vice president. In this case, the electors were pledged to the Democratic candidates who carried the state.

"We had three of the individuals actually vote for Colin Powell as president and one of the individuals voted for Faith Spotted Eagle. For vice president, we had Susan Collins, Winona LaDuke, Maria Cantwell, and Elizabeth Warren," said Mark Neary, Washington’s assistant secretary of state.

Neary says this is the first time in 40 years that the law governing electors has been enforced. The electors have 60 days to pay the fine.

Copyright 2016 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Julie Sabatier