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Brian Bakst

A losing cause awaits Minnesota Electoral College members

Betsy O'Berry
Betsy O'Berry, an accountant from Ramsey, is one of 10 Minnesota Electoral College members. The state's votes will go to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who won Minnesota but lost the national race. O'Berry says that makes Monday's balloting "bittersweet."
Brian Bakst | MPR News

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The last votes in the 2016 presidential race are being cast today.

Members of the Electoral College are meeting in every state — and they'll make Donald Trump's victory official.

The 10 electors in Minnesota are legally bound to back Hillary Clinton, who won the state's popular vote as has every Democratic presidential candidate for the last 40 years.

MPR News political reporter Brian Bakst spoke with one elector, Betsy O'Berry, an accountant from Ramsey, about being an elector who will vote for Clinton. Here's what she had to say:

How did you become an elector?

It is usually party stalwarts who become electors. I ran at the 6th Congressional District's convention this spring to become our elector. I had two opponents, and was just honored and grateful to be selected.

So do you make a pitch to your fellow delegates to say here's why I would be better casting this ballot that is pretty much bound to be casting in a certain way?

It really is a popularity contest to be honest with you. My pitch was simply that it would be a huge honor and great thank you for work that I've done.

Is this something that you've done before or tried to do before?

No. I have never done this before or tried to do this before. Usually people do this one time in their life.

Are you looking forward to it?

Well, I'm looking forward to it but my feelings are bittersweet. I had expected to be the presidential elector for the first woman president in the United States. While I'll be casting my vote for Hillary Clinton, it's very sad she will not be our president.

Was that part of the motivation of running this time, is that you thought this would be part of a bigger history-making event?

Absolutely. I wanted to be casting my Electoral College ballot for the first woman president elected in the United States. But it's a sad moment to know that my candidate will not be the one that prevails.

Do you still believe in the Electoral College process?

I've been asked that question several times not surprisingly. That is just part of our constitution, part of the grand compromise to put things together for us. I live in a house with a 16-year-old high school student who is very angry about the Electoral College because Hillary got more votes than Donald Trump. But you know I kind of just live in the world we live in. We have an Electoral College now. I know that there are some proposals with the multi-state compact and some other things to make some changes in that. For now, I'm just going to live in the moment and be very honored to cast my ballot.