OLYMPIA — Three Democratic electors will appeal the $1,000 fines they received when they broke a state law by voting for someone other than Hillary Clinton when the Electoral College met in December.
Bret Chiafalo, who lives near Everett, Esther John, of Seattle, and Levi Guerra, of Warden, formally notified the Secretary of State’s Office of their intentions last week, according to agency spokesman Brian Zylstra.
A fourth “faithless” elector, Robert Satiacum of University Place, has until Jan. 26 to act because the state’s notice of the fine did not reach him as quickly as the others, Zylstra said.
The Office of Administrative Hearings is working on the date and place of each appeal, as well as how they will be conducted, he said.
Presidential electors are selected by their respective parties. State law requires they sign a pledge to vote for their party’s nominees for president and vice president, if they win the popular vote in Washington. A law passed in 1977 said failure to keep the pledge can result in a $1,000 fine.
All 12 Democratic electors in Washington did sign and turn in a pledge to the Secretary of State’s Office. Only eight cast their ballots for Clinton and her running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, who beat Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, in this state.
Chiafalo, Guerra and John cast their ballots for Colin Powell, a former U.S. secretary of state, while Satiacum, of the Puyallup Tribe, cast his vote Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American leader in South Dakota.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com. Twitter @dospueblos.
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