Electoral College member resigns rather than vote for 'unqualified' Donald Trump

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A Texas Republican who is a member of the US Electoral College has said he will resign the role after deciding he cannot vote for Donald Trump.

Art Sisneros had previously told Politico he was grappling with his conscience over the vote he would be expected to cast for the President-elect when the Electoral College meets on 19 December to ratify this month’s election result.

In a lengthy blog post, published over the Thanksgiving weekend, Mr Sisneros laid out the history of the Electoral College and how he believed its original function had been “corrupted” and “ruined”, as well as arguing that Mr Trump is unfit to occupy the White House.

“I do not see how Donald Trump is biblically qualified to serve in the office of the Presidency,” Mr Sisneros wrote. “If Trump is not qualified and my role, both morally and historically, as an elected official is to vote my conscience, then I cannot and will not vote for Donald Trump for President.”

He went on: “The reality is Trump will be our President, no matter what my decision is. Since I can’t in good conscience vote for Donald Trump… the best option I see at this time is to resign my position as an Elector. This will allow the remaining body of Electors to fill my vacancy when they convene on 19 December with someone that can vote for Trump.”

Since the election, there have been widespread calls from the left for the abolition of the Electoral College, which Mr Trump won by 306 votes to 232, despite his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote by a margin of more than two million.

Mr Trump, who complained that the system was “rigged” before the election, has since tweeted his belief that the Electoral College is “genius”.