On the same day the Supreme Court turned down a Connecticut man’s appeal arguing Barack Obama is ineligible to be president, electors gathered at the state Capitol to award Obama the state’s seven Electoral College votes.
In a ceremony presided over by Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz the seven electors cast their vote Monday in the Senate Chambers at the state Capitol.
Using a peel-and-seal envelope the votes for Obama and vice-president elect Joe Biden were sealed once, then twice with blue wax that was then stamped with the Connecticut state seal. The envelopes will be delivered to Congress, where a joint session of the House and the Senate will take place on Jan. 8th to officially count the ballots from all the states.
The seven electors involved in Monday’s ceremony included Shirley Steinmetz, chair of the Wethersfield Democratic Town Committee, Jim Ezzes, chair of the Westport town committee, Deborah McFadden, vice chair of the Wilton town committee, Ken Delacruz, president of the Metal Trades Council union at Electric Boat in Groton, Glastonbury attorney Nicholas Paindiris, New Haven Alderwoman Andrea Jackson Brooks and Wolcott Tax Collector Lorraine McQueen.
Connecticut is a winner take all state so only Democratic electors participated in the process Monday. The state has seven electoral votes because it has two US Senators and five US House of Representative members.
On Nov. 4, by a nearly 2-to-1 margin Connecticut voters chose to elect Obama and Biden.
Paindiris, who chaired Monday’s Electoral College vote, said it was the greatest honor he’s had in his lifetime. An early supporter of Obama, Paindiris said the president-elect represents the “reinvigoration of the American dream.”
State Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo who watched the historic ceremony Monday said the seven electors were chosen at the state convention this summer. She said she tried to find one person from every Congressional district in the state.
