New Mexico’s electors officially cast the state’s five electoral college votes for Hillary Clinton Monday.
Clinton won the state easily last month, even as she lost the national race to Republican Donald Trump when it comes to electoral votes. Trump received enough votes Monday to be formally named the president-elect.
Each state receives an electoral vote for each member of the congressional delegation, plus Washington D.C. receives three electoral votes.
Clinton received 48.3 percent of the vote in New Mexico, compared to 40 percent of the vote going to Trump. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate and a former governor of New Mexico, received 9.3 percent of the vote, the best showing by a third-party candidate since independent Ross Perot received 16 percent in 1992.
“This election illustrates just how important it is for every New Mexican to be informed, engaged and to cast his or her vote,” Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a statement. “Following November’s successful election, I’m pleased to see New Mexico’s electors uphold their constitutional obligation.”
Some protesters gathered outside the doors where New Mexico’s electors, selected by the Democratic Party, cast their ballots.
Some Democrats hoped that enough electors in states Trump won would change their votes to shift the results of the election to Clinton.
In Washington, three electors voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell and one for Native American elder Faith Spotted Eagle, while eight voted for Clinton.
In Texas, 36 electors voted for Trump, while one voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich and one voted for former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul.
One potential unfaithful elector in Maine said he would cast his vote for Bernie Sanders, the U.S. Senator from Vermont who lost to Clinton in the Democratic primary, but after his vote was ruled out of order, he changed his vote to Clinton.
In Minnesota, an elector declined to vote for Clinton and was replaced by another elector who did so. The same thing happened in Colorado.
There was no such drama in New Mexico, as each of the five electors supported Clinton.
Update: Added information from Washington’s electors.
Update: Added information from Texas’ electors and added information that Trump cleared 270 electoral votes.
