Journal of the Proceedings of the 58th Pennsylvania Electoral College Held in the Chamber of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Monday, December 19, 2016 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Tom Wolf Governor Pedro A. Cortés Secretary of the Commonwealth Donald J. Trump Michael R. Pence President Vice President of the of the United States of America United States of America Hillary Rodham Clinton Timothy Michael Kane Democratic Nominee for Democratic Nominee for President Vice President of the of the United States of America United States of America 2 Tom Wolf Mike Stack Governor Lieutenant Governor Pedro A. Cortés Secretary of the Commonwealth Robert A. Gleason, Jr. Joyce C. Haas President of the Vice President of the Electoral College Electoral College 3 Introductions EXECUTIVE DEPUTY SECRETARY ROBERT TORRES Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am Robert Torres, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth. It is my honor to welcome you to the 58th Electoral College of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Please turn off cell phones and all other electronic communication devices. At this time, would you all please rise? I would like to present to you the Honorable Pedro A. Cortés, Secretary of the Commonwealth; the Honorable Robert Ghormoz, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of the Commonwealth; the Reverend Canon David W. Lovelace; the Honorable Thomas G. Saylor, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsyl- vania; and the Temporary Officers and Members of the 58th Electoral College of Pennsylvania. Proceedings MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2016 The Electoral College of Pennsylvania convened at 12 o’clock noon, Monday, December 19, 2016, in the chamber of the House of Representatives, State Capitol Building, Harrisburg, agreeable to the Constitution and laws of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PRESIDING — Honorable Pedro A. Cortés Honorable Pedro A. Cortés, Secretary of the Commonwealth, called the Elec- toral College to order. SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORTÉS Please be seated. As Secretary of the Commonwealth, it is my honor to preside over this meeting until the Electoral College has organized for the official transaction of business as provided in Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution of the United States. It is your solemn responsibility to translate into a formal document for transmis- sion to the Congress of the United States the decision of the voters of the Com- monwealth of Pennsylvania at the General Election held November 8, 2016. This being the day and the hour by the Constitution and laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the duly chosen Electors to meet and give their votes for President and Vice President of the United States, 4 the members of the College of Electors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will now come to order. Pledge of Allegiance SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORTÉS Please rise as Samuel Cotsarelis, Rylee Dorer, Caitlin Holland, Zeryab Ibrahim, Mikenna Mattis and Angelina Torres lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of Allegiance was recited. The Reverend Canon David W. Lovelace offers the invocation. Invocation SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORTÉS Thank you, Pages. I now call upon the Reverend Canon Lovelace and ask him to invoke God’s blessing on these proceedings. REVEREND CANON DAVID W. LOVELACE Almighty God, we give thanks for this good land which we have received as our inheritance and pray that we may continue to be good stewards of all that has been entrusted to our care. As a nation, we have a history of sound govern- ment established by our founders for the sake of all who dwell in this land and the freedom to choose those who occupy leadership positions. At all levels of 5 government, fill with wisdom those to whom we entrust leadership authority that we might seek justice and peace for all peoples of the world. Be present now with this 58th Electoral College of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as they fulfill their constitutional duty in the election of the President and Vice- President of the United States. Grant them wisdom and courage to decide that which serves to promote the welfare of all United States citizens. May each of us, as citizens of the United States, take seriously our responsibilities to one another for the well-being and ordering of society in our own generation. In all that we do, O Lord, grant us grace to serve and honor your most holy name we pray. Amen Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortés offers remarks. Remarks by Secretary Cortés SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORTÉS Thank you, Canon Lovelace. Please be seated. Chief Justice Saylor, Deputy Chief of Staff Ghormoz, Canon Lovelace, distin- guished Electors and honored guests: As Secretary of the Commonwealth and Temporary Presiding Officer of Penn- sylvania’s 58th Electoral College, I welcome you to the chamber of the Pennsyl- vania House of Representatives. It is an honor to convene the Electoral College in this remarkable setting. This is the third Electoral College I had the privilege to temporarily preside. 6 Today’s proceedings remain consistent with the procedures followed when the first Electoral College convened in Pennsylvania 227 years ago. It is my belief that our Commonwealth has one of the best Electoral College ceremonies in this Nation. Before the end of the day, 538 electors around the country will cast their votes to select the President and Vice President of the United States. The Electoral College was established by the Framers of our Constitution in Philadelphia as a compromise between those who advocated the election of the President and Vice President by the states and those who supported ap- pointment by Congress. Under our federal system, the people of the United States vote for “electors” who in turn vote for the President and Vice President. The votes you cast today will be certified and sent to the U.S. Congress and the National Archives. On January 6, 2017, they will be counted, along with those of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia, in front of a joint session of Congress. In accordance with the 20th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the President-Elect will be sworn-in on January 20th at 12 o’clock noon. In 1788, James Madison, while arguing for the adoption of the United States Constitution, stated, “we may define a republic to be a government which de- rives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior.” Today’s Electoral College proves once again that the citizens of the United States are able to establish their government by choice. America’s continuing history testifies to the enduring viability of our Grand Experiment in self-governance. As we know, President Abraham Lincoln, in his renowned Gettysburg Address, stated that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” We are still here today, heirs to these lofty ideals of elective government. Today, the will of Pennsylvania, as expressed by the majority of the more than six (6) million citizens that voted on the November 8th General Election, is in the hands of 20 members of the Electoral College. We continue to invest our common faith in you, esteemed Electors, that you will honor the voters, this Commonwealth and our nation by adding a new chapter to America’s story of free, representative democracy, under which we live. 7 Temporary Officers Appointed SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORTÉS Let us now proceed with the appointment of temporary officers. For the purpose of carrying on the business of this meeting, I will appoint, with- out objection, the Honorable Marian K. Schneider and the Honorable Peter Speaks, Deputy Secretaries of the Commonwealth, as Temporary Secretaries; the Honorable Jonathan Marks, Commissioner of Elections of Pennsylvania, as Chief Sergeant-At-Arms; and the Honorable Michael Moser, Deputy Commis- sioner of Elections, as Assistant Sergeant-At-Arms. Communications from the Governor SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORTÉS The Chair recognizes the Honorable Robert Ghormoz, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. HONORABLE ROBERT GHORMOZ Mr. Secretary, I have the honor to present communications in writing from His Excellency, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORTÉS Thank you, Deputy Chief of Staff Ghormoz. Reading of Certificate of Ascertainment SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORTÉS Secretary Schneider will read the communications. Secretary Schneider read the following communications from the Governor: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF ASCERTAINMENT OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Pursuant to the Laws of the United States, I, Tom Wolf, Governor of the Com- monwealth of Pennsylvania, do hereby certify that in accordance with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Election Code, Act of June 3, 1937 (P.L. 1333, No. 320), the Secretary of the Commonwealth, on receiving and computing the returns of the election of Presidential Electors, shall lay them before the 8 Governor, who shall enumerate and ascertain the number of votes given for each person so voted for, and shall cause a certificate of election to be delivered to each person so chosen. It appears from the returns so laid be- fore me by the Secretary of the Com- monwealth, that at an election