US ELECTORAL College members have been inundated with tens of thousands of emails demanding they deny Donald Trump the presidency.
In a report by the Associated Press released yesterday, 330 of the 538 electors were asked whether they would join the Hamilton Electors — a group attempting to steer electors away from the two candidates in favour of a third.
Most scotched the notion, with many stating that it was their duty to vote according to the popular vote.
Only one Republican elector told the Associated Press that he would not vote for the president-elect.
The Hamilton Electors are openly lobbying their colleagues to vote for an un-nominated compromise candidate from the Republican Party — yet to be chosen.
For Mr Trump to be denied the presidency, Republican-appointed electors would have to stage an unprecedented defection and Democrats would also have to break the pledges they made to vote for Hillary Clinton.
Republican elector Brian Westrate from Wisconsin said he had received over 48,000 emails on the issue.
Despite being slightly overwhelmed by the torrent of mail, Mr Westrate professed to enjoying the correspondence.
“I have had a Twitter debate with a former porn star from California asking me to change my vote,” he said. “It’s been fascinating.”
Mr Trump won the election with 306 electoral college votes to Ms Clinton’s 232, despite open hostility from the Republican party he was standing for.
Opponents argue that the result of the election should be thrown out as Ms Clinton won 2.5 million votes more than her rival overall.
Co-founder of Hamilton Electors Bret Chiafalo, who backed Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders in the primaries, admitted their bid was a “losing bet,” but argued that it was necessary as he believes Mr Trump poses “a unique danger” to the US.
“The Founding Fathers put the Electoral College in place to, among other things, stop that from happening,” he said.
On Wednesday Mr Chiafolo and fellow Washington Democrat Levi Guerra lost a court bid to avoid being fined up to $1,000 (£800) if they break their signed pledge to vote for Ms Clinton — the winner of the Democratic popular vote.
And on Monday a federal court ruled his cohorts Polly Baca and Robert Nemanich of Colorado — another of 29 states with laws governing the issue — had to vote for Ms Clinton as pledged.
