Electors cast their ballots for President-elect Trump

BOISE — In a uniquely ceremonial affair, Idaho’s four electors officially cast their ballots for Donald Trump and JD Vance on Tuesday morning at the Capitol.

Speakers highlighted their support of the Electoral College and for the president-elect.

Tuesday’s voting process, mirrored across other states as part of the Electoral College vote, has historically taken place in Idaho without public participation, Secretary of State Phil McGrane said.

Idaho’s voters on Nov. 5 overwhelmingly chose for the former president and his running mate; the winner of the Gem State’s popular votes received all four of the state’s Electoral College votes. Trump earned 312 Electoral College votes nationwide, surpassing the 270 needed to win.

“We really saw it as a fitting opportunity, given the significance of what I think the last four years has really highlighted, the importance of these elections, so we wanted to open it up and get more people involved,” McGrane told the Idaho Press.

Electors Vicki Keen, Jean Mollenkopf-Moore, Brent Regan and Doyle Beck filled out individual ballots for Trump and Vance. House Speaker Mike Moyle; newly selected Senate President Pro Tem Kelly Anthon; Idaho’s constitutional officers: Treasurer Julie Ellsworth, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Controller Brandon Woolf, Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield; and a small crowd watched the process at the Capitol on Tuesday.

“Today really is — I mean you hear it all the time — but today truly is a historic event,” McGrane told those in attendance.

McGrane read from his pocket copy of the Constitution — which was leather-bound and handwritten by his father — the process outlined in the 12th Amendment.

Moyle noted that the first time Idaho cast electoral college votes was in 1892, the year Grover Cleveland became the first president to serve nonconsecutive terms.

“Today, we’re going to repeat that. We’re going to elect Donald J. Trump and he’s going to be the next nonconsecutive president elected, and we’re going to do it right here in Idaho as part of the process,” Moyle said.

Anthon spoke about Founding Fathers’ establishment of the Electoral College.

“It’s something we fight for, we’ve got to keep,” Anthon said. “So today, we will get to be one of the many small states who get to participate in electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States.”

All of the electors — who were elected by the Idaho GOP members — had the opportunity to speak briefly before filling out their ballots.

“In the November election, you thought you were voting for president, but you weren’t,” Regan said. “As secretary McGrane pointed out, you were actually voting for the four of us to stand before you today. The weight of that is not lost on me.”

All of them expressed their support for Trump and Vance before placing their ballots into a large metal barrel.

McGrane and a member of his staff hand-counted ballots afterward and announced that all four votes went to Trump, and all four votes went to Vance.

McGrane’s office will send the votes to officials in Washington, D.C., before the joint session of Congress’ official vote on Jan. 6, 2025.

Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on Twitter @EyeOnBoiseGuido.