Activists demonstrate ahead of the meeting of the Electoral College at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on December 19, 2016. © Mohammad Khursheed / Reuters.

Yesterday — Monday, December 19 — 538 people across the United States met in their state capitols to vote on who will be the next president. These meetings are a formality in a normal election year — but this is not a normal year.

The Electoral College has come under the spotlight in a year of vicious attacks, slander, and vitriol against the media, women, and minorities, anyone who opposes the president-elect. Normally, the Electoral College vote is symbolic ‚Äî a rubber-stamping of a state’s chosen candidate.

But this year is different. U.S. intelligence agencies found Russian interference may have impacted the election. The rise of fake news on social media is thought to have had an impact on swing state voters: in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the president-elect won by less than 100,000 votes. Additionally, the president-elect has many conflicts of interest involving his businesses around the globe. The full scope of these is still unknown by the American people.

A part of me hoped the Hamilton Electors, a group of Electoral College members who believe they should be free to vote their conscience, will deny the president-elect the 270 necessary votes to become president of the United States. I want to see Hillary Clinton become the 45th (and first female) president. Clinton, unlike the president-elect, is more than capable of the rigors of the presidency. As former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State, she is uniquely qualified for the highest office in the nation.

I wanted to wake up today to find the president-elect did not receive enough electoral votes. The vote for presidency would then be thrown to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. I’d like to believe they would vote for country over party.

The inauguration of the first female president of the United States of America on Jan. 20, 2017 is not going to happen. But I still want the woman who has won 2.8 million more votes than her opponent to be victorious. Instead, I am resigned, but still resolved to fight for the issues that are important to me and for the people that I love.

-Sage Daugherty
Junior Girl
Girl Museum Inc.

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