Though the election was called for President Barack Obama over a month ago, members of the Electoral College will officially cast their votes today.
Texas electors will meet to cast the state’s electoral votes this afternoon at the Capitol.Texas has 38 electoral votes – the second highest of any state, behind California – which were won by Mitt Romney.
Each party selects 38 potential electors who promise to vote for that party’s candidate, should they win the state’s popular vote. Because Mitt Romney won Texas, the 38 Republican electors will cast their votes for him today.
While a state’s electors generally respect the will of the public and vote for whichever candidate won the state’s popular vote, they can technically vote for any candidate they choose. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration says that historically, 99 percent of electors have cast their vote as expected.
The election results will be official when the Vice President Joe Biden, acting in his capacity as President of the Senate, counts the votes out loud before a joint session of Congress on January 6.
