In a Presidential Election year when the Big Two Parties have selected widely disliked candidates, is it possible to vote None of the Above into the Presidency? In this episode, by learning how the electoral college works, we explore our options for realistically denying the Presidency to the chosen candidates of the Republican and Democratic Parties. *This episode has been updated from it’s original version for information accuracy.

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United States Electoral College

• U.S. Electoral College: About the Electors, National Archives and Records Administration.
• The 2016 Presidential Election, National Archives and Records Administration.
• History of Faithless Electors, Fair Vote Democracy
• Directory of Representatives, United States House of Representatives
• State Control of Electors, Fair Vote Presidential Elections Reform Program

Sound Clip Sources:

• FBI News Conference: FBI Director James Comey News Conference, Federal Bureau of Investigation, CSPAN, July 5, 2016.
• Video: Gary Johnson & Drones, YouTube, May 3, 2016.
• Television News Clip: Hillary Clinton in 2015: Email Server was Permitted, CNN, July 12, 2015.
• Video: Gary Johnson & Drones, YouTube, May 3, 2016.

Videos:

• Video: The Trouble with the Electoral College By CGP Grey, YouTube, November 7, 2011.

Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes

• Congressional Dish Episode 126: The Presidential Primary, By Jennifer Briney, May 23, 2016.

Additional Reading

• Article: A Reminder of the Permanent Wars: Dozens of U.S. Airstrikes in Six Countries By Missy Ryan, The Washington Post, September 8, 2016.
• Article: US election: Why is Clinton’s Foundation So Controversial? By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, August 23, 2016.
• Article: Trump University: It’s Worse Than You Think By John Cassidy, The New Yorker, June 2, 2016.
• Article: The Definitive Roundup of Trump’s Scandals and Business Failures By Celina Durgin, National Review, March 15, 2016.
• Article: Pew Research Center will Call 75% Cellphones for Surveys in 2016 By Kyley McGeeney, Pew Research Center, January 5, 2016.
• Article: Clintons Personally Paid State Department Staffer to Maintain Server By Rosalind S. Helderman and Carol D. Leonnig, The Washington Post, September 5, 2015.

Additional Information

• Report by the Office of Inspector General: Office of the Secretary: Evaluation of Email Records Management and Cybersecurity Requirements Office of Evaluations and Special Projects, May 2016.
• Commission on Presidential Debates
  • Polls Used by Commission on Presidential Debates
• 2000 Official Presidential General Election Results, State Elections Offices
• Election Polling Methodology, Pew Reseach Center.

Music Presented in This Episode

• Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Cover Art

Design by Only Child Imaginations, with a special thanks to photographer Dennis “Chunga” Cieklinski for the awesome photo of the Bennett School for Girls.

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Jennifer Briney Podcaster

Jennifer Briney started paying attention to world events while studying in Germany in the spring of 2003 when the United States overthrew the government of Iraq. After experiencing the war from outside the United States, she started asking questions about her government. Every answer led to fifty more questions. This led to a thirst for information that she is still unable to quench.

Over the years, the feeling like she was the only person paying attention to this information was making Jen insane so in late 2012, she launched Congressional Dish in order to share the information, to have an emotional outlet for dealing with the discoveries, and to create a community of people who were interested in Congress’s effect on our lives. Congressional Dish is now her full-time career, thanks entirely to the support from our growing community of producers from all over the world.